My crock pot is by far my favorite appliance in the kitchen. So naturally I was super excited for my friend Judith from The Midnight Baker when she announced she was writing a crock pot cookbook. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and try it out.
There are so many wonderful recipes, I had a hard time picking one to make first! So, I opened it up and just decided I would work my way through, starting with an appetizer.
Whenever we host a party, the fun is always centered around the food, especially the hot dips. This Hot Jalapeno & Chile Popper Dip is by far my most favorite hot dip to date. It's creamy, cheesy, and packed with a bunch of flavor.
Garden Fresh Dill Dip is the ultimate summer party dip. Made with sour cream, mayo, seasonings, fresh dill, and parsley.
Garden Fresh Dill Dip
Dill is one of my favorite herbs to use in the kitchen. Hi, My name is Melissa, and I am addicted to dill dip. I like to make it without anyone knowing I made it and eat it all by myself. Ha...just kidding.... uh maybe? Um yeah...we will go
with that!
During the holidays my Mom usually makes a dill dip out of a packaged mix. We all love it, including the kids. It has become a staple at all of our holiday get togethers. So I knew my biggest critic on this dip was going to be my Mom. I know she was a little hesitant that it was going to be as good as what she makes but she was excited to try it. When I made the first batch, yes, I have made many over the last couple of weeks, I saved her a little bowl.
As she took her first bite she was a little quiet. She was inspecting every aspect of flavor in that bite. When she was done her response was "you've done it now!" She LOVED it and said it was spot on. So you all know what that means, it is all on me now.
I love the fact that I can use fresh ingredients without a lot of who knows what to make our family favorite dip. Of course, the fresh aspect during the holiday season will be difficult, but using dried works just as well. I have made it with dry and it is just as good.
The key is to let it sit in the fridge for just a bit to meld the flavors together. I like to use pita chips to scoop it up. I have made them myself and they also sell pre-made pita chips in the cracker aisle. They are really easy to make yourself but in a pinch, store bought works great.
Yield: 10 - 12Author: Served Up With Love
Garden Fresh Dill Dip
Garden Fresh Dill Dip comes together with simple ingredients and is always a crowd pleaser.
ingredients:
1 Cup of sour cream
1 Cup of mayonnaise
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
4 1/2 Tablespoons of fresh dill, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of fresh parsley, finely chopped
instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until completely combined. Chill for at least an hour and serve with your favorite crackers, chips, or veggies.
NOTES:
Note the ratio to using fresh herbs versus dried is 1:3 ratio. Dried herbs pack more of a punch than fresh. Example when a recipe calls for 3 teaspoons fresh, use 1 teaspoon of dried.
A party is just not a party without the dip! This Toffee Apple Dip is THE party dip of FALL that will fly right off of the table!
When I was a little girl I used to spend much of my time at my grandparents house. My grandfather passed away when I was only 12 and my grandmother was already sick with Alzheimer's and in a nursing home at that point.
Our activities always included a ride to the post office to get the mail and a stop at the local grocery store to drop off coca cola bottles and pick up more to drink. It is funny how those simple little things bring me so much joy looking back.
On one occasion my grandfather said we were going to get some apples and I just assumed we were going to the local grocery store but we didn't stop there. He kept driving and we ended up at someones house that he knew. They had a bunch of apple trees and so we loaded up on apples. The details are rather blurry as to where it was or what we did with the apples after we took them back home.
For all I know it could have just been a dozen apples but at that age it seemed like we picked the entire tree. I carry that memory in my heart and cherish that I was able to spend that time with him. I can still hear his voice, see his face, and feel his love all around me. What an honor to have such a great man as my grandfather.
I am always on the search for new and exciting dips to serve at parties and special occasions. Fall at its best.
Toffee Apple Dip is THE party dip of FALL that will fly right off of the table!
prep time: 5 minscook time: total time: 5 mins
ingredients:
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup toffee bits
instructions
Combine cream cheese and white and brown sugars, mix well. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Stir in the toffee bits, reserving 2 tablespoons for the top. Serve with sliced apples or graham crackers.
A favorite meal in our house is Pizza. So anytime I can make something that is similar I know it will disappear fast. Who doesn't love pizza?
We had an issue with my daughter eating pepperonis for a while but slowly we are introducing those back to her without any issues. Thank goodness because she really loves them. We really think it is an intolerance so we limit how much she eats.
I made this for an afternoon snack one Saturday and placed it in front of us and we just devoured it. Any of your favorite pizza toppings would work great in this. Or if you just like cheese, that would be just fine too! It is fun to eat too. Besides, what kid does not like to dip things?
This recipe is found in one of my favorite Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks, Garfield... Recipes with Cattitude. I have made more recipes out of this cookbook than any other I have I believe. Such a great cookbook to add to your collection.
Author: Served Up With Love
Pull-Apart Pizza Bread
prep time: 5 MINScook time: 15 MINStotal time: 20 mins
A fun party appetizer the entire family will love digging into.
ingredients:
12 oz. tube refrigerated flaky biscuits
1 tablespoons olive oil
12 slices pepperoni, quartered
1 onion, chopped ( I omitted this as my family would not like it)
1/4 cup shredded pizza-blend cheese (I used mozzarella)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
instructions:
Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces: place in a bowl. Toss biscuit pieces with oil and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well. Add biscuits; toss well to coat. Arrange in a Bundt pan lined with well-greased aluminum foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden. Turn bread out of pan onto a serving plate while still warm. Serve with pizza sauce.
Hawaiian Dip is a creamy, sweet tropical dip that will make you feel like you are on a sandy beach somewhere. Perfect to take to parties, potlucks, or just because. Its like a Pina Colada in dip form.
Summer days have turned into chilly fall days here. I love fall but also I am missing the warmer days of summer. Pineapple and coconut are two of my favorite things to eat (or drink) together. So naturally when I come across something with these ingredients in it I know I need to try it out. This is a super simple dip to whip together at the last minute. I used vanilla wafers but I am sure anything would be good with this dip. Pretzels, pita chips, graham crackers, the list goes on. So the next time you are looking for something a little different to feed a crowd, look no further than this dip.
Hawaiian Dip
8 oz. cream cheese softened
2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut
20 oz. can pineapple
(chunks or crushed)
nuts or cherries to top dip with
Blend all ingredients together in food processor to crush up
pineapple and coconut pieces. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. I served with vanilla wafers but the options are endless.
Side dishes always seem to be the same ole, same ole here and I always look for different ideas. When I saw this recipe in Garfield, Recipes with Cattitude cookbook, I knew I had to try them. I try to keep potatoes on hand when I can because there are so many things you can do with a potato.
While the hubby was grilling burgers I got to work on these. Quick to throw together and into the oven they went. These were the perfect side and the kids enjoyed them. Short on time, use store bought frozen fries. If you are worried these will be spicy, they are not at all.
Baked Chili Fries
1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 3 Tablespoons olive oil (vegetable oil works too) 3 baking potatoes, cut into wedges Garnish: catsup, ranch dressing, or your favorite fry sauce Mix seasonings in a large plastic zippered bag. Add oil and squeeze to mix; add potato wedges. Seal bag tightly; shake vigorously to coat potatoes well. Arrange potatoes on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until tender and golden. Make 4 to 6 servings. **I didn't have aluminum foil or zippered bags but that did not stop me from making these. I am a firm believer in using what you have. I just added a little bit more oil on the pan before putting the potatoes on, to keep from sticking. I also added all ingredients into a big bowl and stirred them up instead of using a bag.
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