Hot Pizza Dip

 

So here's the thing about this dish. I made it for my family Christmas party and totally forgot to take a picture of it until everyone had already started digging in. So, sorry about the photo of half eaten food! I guess you can take comfort in the fact that everyone wolfed this down really quickly, because at least now you know it's a good recipe!

This is my last Super Bowl themed post, and it's not too late to add it to your game day menu. I served this with cubes of Italian bread because I figured that was a natural companion to this saucy cheesy goodness, but you could certainly use crackers, or serve it with baguette slices and let your guests spread this on. 

Like the Bacon Cheeseburger Dip that I posted on Wednesday, you can easily make this ahead of time up until the step where you put it in the oven. That makes this even more perfect for a Super Bowl party because it won't take you away from your guests or the game!

I wish I knew where I got this recipe so I could give them credit, but I made this for the first time a few years ago and all I have is a printout of a Word document with the recipe on it. If by any chance the creator of this recipe reads this, please let me know!

Hot Pizza Dip

Ingredients

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 (8 oz.) can pizza sauce

Bread or crackers for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese and seasoning and spread into the bottom of a pan (I used a 9 inch pie plate). Combine mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and sprinkle half of the mixture over the cream cheese. Spread the pizza sauce over the cheese and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is starting to melt and get browned on top. Serve with bread or crackers.

Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

 

This is admittedly not the most photogenic recipe in the world. But I swear, it tastes awesome, and would be another great addition to your Super Bowl spread. It's full of all of the flavors that make up a great burger and it's warm, cheesy, and comforting. I served this with Snaps, those Snyder's pretzel squares with a grid/waffle pattern, because my absolute favorite way to eat a burger is on a pretzel roll and I wanted to mimic that. But you could easily eat this with your favorite crackers, potato chips, or even baguette slices. 

You can make this ahead of time up until the baking stage, which is what I did, though I kept the bacon separate until I was ready to put the dip in the oven. I didn't want my gorgeous crispy bacon to soften up by sitting in the dip in the fridge for a while. It was hard not to eat all of the bacon before I mixed it into the dip, but I did manage to get most of it in there!

Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

Recipe from Closet Cooking

Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
6 strips of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup

Directions
Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium heat; when cooked through, remove the beef and drain the grease from the pan. (Full disclosure: I actually used my Pampered Chef Micro Cooker to cook the ground beef in the microwave - the holes in the lid of the cooker are perfect for draining out the grease quickly and easily) Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 6-10 minutes; remove to a paper towel-lined plate and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the onion to the bacon grease and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Return the ground beef and bacon to the pan and stir in the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar, worcestershire sauce and ketchup until cheeses are melted and everything is combined.

Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake until the top starts turning a light golden brown and the sides are bubbling, about 20-30 minutes. Serve with pretzels, crackers, chips, or bread.

Pulled Chicken Jalapeno Popper Sandwiches

If you're trying to figure out what to serve during the Super Bowl this Sunday (assuming the weather cooperates and the game actually is on Sunday - what is this possible Super Bowl Friday, Saturday or Monday nonsense??), look no further. This is a perfect meal for the big game. The main component - pulled chicken - is made in the crockpot, so you can get it started in the morning and not have to worry about being in the kitchen cooking while the game is on. Or while the commercials are on! I've gotten so used to fast forwarding through commercials, or using them as a bathroom or food break, that sometimes during the Super Bowl I forget to pay attention to them!

This sandwich has a few components to it, but they're all easy to make (the breadcrumbs can be toasted ahead of time too) and they all work SO well together, with all the flavors of a classic jalapeno popper. I would eat the cheese sauce with a spoon, and while it seemed a little odd to put breadcrumbs on a sandwich, they provide a seriously awesome crunch that really made the sandwich.

The original recipe called for a mix of chicken breasts and thighs, but since I'm trying to be a little healthier, I used all chicken breast. But if you're not counting points, by all means consider using both kinds of chicken. The original recipe also called for chicken bouillon cubes, which I thought I had, but when I started cooking I realized I was out, so I didn't use any. I didn't notice that anything was missing, so I don't think you need them.

I made these for the AFC championship game, and sadly, my Patriots beer koozie did not bring the team good luck. But, I happen to love Peyton Manning (I actually like him more than Tom Brady, shhh) and Wes Welker, despite him leaving the Pats, so I will happily root for the Broncos to win. I think Peyton's a phenomenal football player, and a real class act, so I'd like to see him get his second Super Bowl ring.

Pulled Chicken Jalapeno Popper Sandwiches
Recipe from Food Fanatic
Makes about 8 sandwiches, maybe with a little chicken leftover 

Ingredients

For the Chicken:
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, diced 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
3 (10 oz.) cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with chilies) 
2 tablespoons chili powder 
1 tablespoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
 

For the Panko Topping:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs 
2 tablespoons butter
 

For the Cheese Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream 
2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed
 

Extras: 

Pickled jalapeno pepper slices

Rolls

 

Directions

For the Chicken:

Place diced onion and minced garlic in crock pot. Place chicken breasts on top. Pour Rotel, undrained, over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper over top. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours. 

Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts and drain most of the juices out of the crockpot. Shred the chicken and return to the crockpot. Check to see if more salt and pepper are needed and adjust accordingly.
 

​For the Panko Topping:

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add panko crumbs, stirring until lightly toasted. Set aside.
 

For the Cheese Sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until almost boiling, stirring constantly. Add in cream cheese and stir until melted. Then add the cheddar, stirring until smooth and combined.
 

To Assemble the Sandwich: 

Place chicken on a sliced roll. Top with cheese sauce, crispy panko and sliced jalapenos.

or the Pulled Chicken:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2 cans - like rotel
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon

For the Crispy Panko Topping:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

For Topping:

• jalapeno pepper, pickled or fresh, sliced

Directions

For the Chicken:

1. Place diced onion and minced garlic in crock pot.  Place chicken on top.  Open cans of tomato and pour that over the chicken.
2. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin salt and pepper over top.  Put bouillon cubes in.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
4. Drain almost all of the juices and season more to taste, if necessary.

​For the Panko Topping:

1. In a skillet melt butter.  Add panko crumbs, stirring until lightly toasted.  Set aside.

For the Cheese Sauce:

1. In small saucepan heat heavy cream until almost a boil, stirring constantly.  Whisk in cream cheese, until melted.  Then add the cheddar, stirring until smooth and combined.

To Assemble the Sandwich: 

1. Place chicken on a bun.  Top with cheese sauce, crispy panko and sliced jalapeno.

- See more at: http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/11/crock-pot-pulled-chicken-cheesy-jalapeno-popper-style/#sthash.QfnKfxGM.dpuf

or the Pulled Chicken:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2 cans - like rotel
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon

For the Crispy Panko Topping:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

For Topping:

• jalapeno pepper, pickled or fresh, sliced

Directions

For the Chicken:

1. Place diced onion and minced garlic in crock pot.  Place chicken on top.  Open cans of tomato and pour that over the chicken.
2. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin salt and pepper over top.  Put bouillon cubes in.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
4. Drain almost all of the juices and season more to taste, if necessary.

​For the Panko Topping:

1. In a skillet melt butter.  Add panko crumbs, stirring until lightly toasted.  Set aside.

For the Cheese Sauce:

1. In small saucepan heat heavy cream until almost a boil, stirring constantly.  Whisk in cream cheese, until melted.  Then add the cheddar, stirring until smooth and combined.

To Assemble the Sandwich: 

1. Place chicken on a bun.  Top with cheese sauce, crispy panko and sliced jalapeno.

- See more at: http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/11/crock-pot-pulled-chicken-cheesy-jalapeno-popper-style/#sthash.QfnKfxGM.dpuf

or the Pulled Chicken:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2 cans - like rotel
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 cubes chicken bouillon

For the Crispy Panko Topping:

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter

For the Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

For Topping:

• jalapeno pepper, pickled or fresh, sliced

Directions

For the Chicken:

1. Place diced onion and minced garlic in crock pot.  Place chicken on top.  Open cans of tomato and pour that over the chicken.
2. Sprinkle chili powder, cumin salt and pepper over top.  Put bouillon cubes in.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
4. Drain almost all of the juices and season more to taste, if necessary.

​For the Panko Topping:

1. In a skillet melt butter.  Add panko crumbs, stirring until lightly toasted.  Set aside.

For the Cheese Sauce:

1. In small saucepan heat heavy cream until almost a boil, stirring constantly.  Whisk in cream cheese, until melted.  Then add the cheddar, stirring until smooth and combined.

To Assemble the Sandwich: 

1. Place chicken on a bun.  Top with cheese sauce, crispy panko and sliced jalapeno.

- See more at: http://www.foodfanatic.com/2013/11/crock-pot-pulled-chicken-cheesy-jalapeno-popper-style/#sthash.QfnKfxGM.dpuf

Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread

 

My next three or four blog posts are all going to help you plan your Super Bowl Sunday menu. Whether you're a football fan or not, I'm willing to bet you're a football FOOD fan! Who isn't? This recipe that's barely even a recipe would be a perfect addition to your menu. Pepperoni? Good. Bread? Good. Cheese? Gooooood. Did you just hear Joey Tribbiani right in that moment? Me too.

Like with the Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Cups that I posted on Monday, I served this at one of my Christmas parties, so I was only able to snap one quick photo before everyone dug in! But it looked pretty impressive, if I do say so myself, and tasted really good too.

The trick with this is to really shove all the ingredients down into the slits you cut into the bread. Don't be shy; really cram it in there from bottom to top. I admittedly didn't do a great job of this and the bottom of the loaf didn't have many of the toppings. So learn from my mistakes and go very generous with everything. Really fill it up and use the full amount of ingredients recommended, even if it seems like a lot as you're cutting it up.

If you happen to have any leftover, this actually reheats really well. I had a little bit left, and popped it in the oven at 350 for a few minutes just until it was warm and re-crisped.

Pepperoni Pizza Pull-Apart Bread
Recipe from Let's Dish

1 round bread loaf (I used sourdough)
10-12 oz. mozzarella or Provolone cheese slices, cut into 1-inch squares (I used a mix of the two cheeses)
1 (3.5 oz.) package pepperoni, halved
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 - 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2  - 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, shredded
Marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Make horizontal then vertical cuts deep in the bread, about one inch apart, being careful not to go through the bottom crust. Place the cut loaf on a foil-lined baking sheet and stuff cheese slices and pepperoni halves between the cuts. Combine the butter, garlic powder and oregano. Drizzle or brush the butter mixture over the bread with a pastry brush. Sprinkle the bread with the shredded Parmesan cheese.

Wrap the loaf completely in foil and bake for 15 minutes. Unwrap the bread and bake another 10 - 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden and crusty.

Serve with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Nana's Crescent Cookies

Today is my dad's birthday. I'm not sure he's ever read this blog, but I'll give him a shout-out anyway. Happy Birthday, Dad! Five or six years ago, I found out that his favorite cookies are these crescents that my grandmother used to make many years ago. So I got the recipe from my aunt and have made these cookies and mailed them to him for his birthday every year since. He's not one to ever want gifts, so this is a nice, somewhat sentimental way to let him know I'm thinking of him.

These cookies are very similar to what you might know as Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes or any number of other names, but in my family, they're simply called Nana's Crescent Cookies. Of course she had to be difficult and make the cookies into a crescent shape rather than a much easier ball/circle. Even after all these years, I still have not perfected the crescent shape all that well, but I don't think my dad minds too much!

The tricky part about these cookies is getting them at the right temperature before rolling them in the powdered sugar. If they're completely cool, the sugar doesn't always stick as well. If they're too warm, the sugar sort of melts into the cookie, almost disappearing and making them a bit sticky. This is nearly always the trap I fall into, and I find myself having to roll them in the sugar a second time, after they've cooled a little more, to coat them and cut down the stickiness. One of these years, I'll get it right. But until then, my dad's worth the extra work!

Nana's Crescent Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
5 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp water
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 cups pecans, finely chopped
Powdered sugar, for rolling (about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the butter in a mixing bowl until fluffy and then add sugar and mix until combined. Add vanilla and water and mix well. On low speed, add salt and flour and mix until it's all incorporated. Stir in chopped pecan pieces.

Form into crescents (or balls if you don't have tradition standing in your way!) and bake for about 20 minutes until the bottoms and edges are starting to brown. I scooped about a one inch ball of dough to make each of my crescents and got almost 50 cookies out of the batch.

Allow cookies to cool a bit and while still slightly warm but easy to handle, roll in powdered sugar and move to a rack to finish cooling completely. If necessary, roll them in the powdered sugar again once totally cool.

Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Cups

Happy MLK, Jr. Day! I am lucky to have today off and couldn't be happier to sleep in, maybe take a bubble bath, and basically do nothing but relax!

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture that truly does these delicious little appetizers justice. I made them for a Christmas party and needed to serve them to my guests while they were still hot, so I didn't have time to take 20 pictures from all different angles like I normally do. But trust me, these are good! The filling is very similar to buffalo chicken dip (but better, according to my brother, who's a very tough critic) and it sits on little cups made out of Fritos and cheddar cheese. How could they not be delicious?? They'd make a great Super Bowl appetizer, so add these to your list if you're already planning what to make on February 2nd. They'll be a hit, I promise!

This recipe is from Pampered Chef, as is the bamboo serving platter in the photo above. I LOVE that platter! The recipe is in PC's Fall/Winter 2013 Season's Best Recipe Book. As soon as I got the book, that was the first recipe that caught my eye and it did not disappoint!

Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Cups

2 cups corn chips (like Fritos)
6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups, divided)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup finely diced cooked chicken breast (I poached the chicken)
2 Tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray wells of a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray

Pulse corn chips in a food processor until they're broken into crumbs. Add one cup of the cheddar cheese to the processor and process until the cheese and chips are incorporated. Spoon about 1 Tbsp chip mixture into each well of the pan (I used my PC small scoop to make this easier) and flatten the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of the wells. Again, PC came to my rescue with their mini-tart shaper to do this job, but you can use your fingers, the handle of a wooden spoon, whatever works. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until cups are slightly bubbly and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 3 - 4 minutes.

Set aside 1 Tbsp of green onions for garnish and add the rest to a mixing bowl. Add chicken, hot sauce, sour cream, blue cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup cheddar. Mix well and then microwave, uncovered, for 30 - 60 seconds or until mixture is warm enough to your liking and the cheese is slightly melted.

Gently remove the cups from the mini muffin tin and place on your serving platter. Spoon about 1 Tbsp of chicken mixture into each cup. Drizzle with additional hot sauce, if desired, and sprinkle with reserved green onions.

Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage over Fried Polenta

This is officially one of the best meals I have ever cooked. It was so good. So, so good. Creamy, filling, comforting. Total perfection. The sauce is hearty and booming with flavor, and that's even before adding the parmesan cheese, which takes it totally over the top in smell, richness, and taste. And I'm fairly obsessed with polenta. The place my friends and I go to for our weekly happy hour has a jalapeno polenta pizza on the menu and it's probably safe to say I order it two weeks out of three. Polenta is so fluffy and delicious, so when I saw the idea to top it with a spicy Italian sausage sauce, I was sold. Even better, this all came together in barely over half an hour. I think the part that took the longest was removing the casing from the sausage, and that was no big deal at all.

I adapted this a little from the original recipe that I was working from. That called for two Italian chicken sausages and one regular Italian sausage. I couldn't justify buying two different sausages and using only one or two links from each package for this recipe, so I went with all chicken sausage and used all four links in the package. More economical, and a little healthier. I also left out the sun-dried tomatoes that the original recipe called for. I don't love their texture, and definitely don't think the dish suffered from not having them. Made the way I did it, this is 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus if you make it into five servings. I had planned for it to be 4 servings at 10 PP each, but cutting the polenta into 10 slices worked better. Divided into five servings it was still a good amount of food, but if you're not worried about points, then obviously feel free to help yourself to a bit more!

You really need to make this. Soon. I made it for dinner Tuesday night and by the time the dishes were washed I was already looking forward to having some leftovers for lunch the next day. And I'm happily eating leftovers again as I type this. It's that good! I already had blog posts planned for the majority of the remainder of this month, but I had to bump what I had planned for today because I couldn't wait any longer to blog about this. I can definitely see this becoming a regular addition to my easy meal repertoire and I hope you like it as much as I do!

Italian Chicken Sausage over Fried Polenta
Recipe adapted slightly from Willow Bird Baking

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 links spicy Italian chicken sausage (I got mine at Trader Joe's and I think the package was 12 oz. total)
1 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
1 tube cooked polenta (Mine was from Trader Joe's and was 18 oz.)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. If your sausage has casings, remove them and crumble the sausage into the pan. Brown it for a few minutes, then add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and cook for just 30 seconds or so before adding the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and wine. Be sure to scrape up any sausage bits off the bottom of the pan to get all that flavor into the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat and allowing it to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the mixture is simmering, heat the other 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Slice the polenta into even slices, about half an inch thick or just slightly under that. I got 10 slices out of my 18 oz. tube. Once the pan is hot, add the slices of polenta, frying them for a few minutes on one side until they're starting to brown. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and then flip over, adding salt and pepper to the other side. Cook for a few minutes, then sprinkle them with a little Parmesan cheese. Remove them to your serving plate.

While the second side of the polenta is cooking, stir 1/4 cup of basil and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese into the sausage and tomato sauce. Cook for 5 more minutes before spooning the mixture over the fried polenta. Sprinkle with the remaining basil and Parmesan, and serve.