I get really excited when I come up with a recipe that combines some of my favorite flavors. This is appetizer heaven for me. While testing the recipe, I realized I had eaten over half of them in about 5 minutes so I quickly packed up the rest and sent my son on a delivery mission to the next door neighbor. I hope she had more restraint than I did! These are super easy and quick due to the use of packaged, pre-baked phyllo shells. Here’s the brand I like.
First of all, let me say I’m sorry there is no picture of this dish. I never seem to get a chance to snap one because there is always someone bearing down on me with a ladle ready to dive in as soon as I say “ready.” And then there’s chowder drippings everywhere…. not a pretty picture. So for this post, just close your eyes and visualize a bowl of thick and creamy clam chowder. It might seem odd to include bottled clam juice in this recipe, but I like the way the extra juice tastes super clammy. If I want the soup to taste like only potatoes, I’ll make potato soup. Of course, if you can get your hands on fresh clam juice without having to splurge for extra clams, go for it. Tips: Render the pork slowly, don’t let the onions brown, whisk the milk like there’s no tomorrow, cut potatoes into even pieces for consistent cooking, and for the love of delicious seafood – don’t over-cook the clams! Over-cooked clams have been known to cause husband riots.
I made this dish during one of my kids’ cooking classes last week. I was surprised at how many of the adults liked it too! Apparently not everyone is a fan of the mayo in a Waldorf Salad. Try this one with your kids. They loved the sunflower seed kernels sprinkled on top. Easy peezy and healthy!
I found this recipe in an old Weight Watchers cookbook and decided to make it instead of my usual meatloaf. Never hurts to feel good about eating comfort food, right? I made a few little changes- left out the green peppers, added 2 Tbsp. Allegro steak marinade (for some extra zest and saltiness) and finished the top with some chili sauce. I also like to form my meatloaf into 4 mini rectangular loaves instead of one big loaf. Everyone likes having their own “loaf” and it cooks in just 25-30 minutes on a simple-to-clean sheet pan. You won’t miss the usual fat content of 80/20 ground meat at all in this recipe! All the vegetables keep it really moist and the herbs kick up the flavor. Tips: Be sure your loaves are evenly shaped rectangles with no skinny ends to dry out. Also, use the back side of your pinky to make a little ditch down the middle of each loaf to hold the chili sauce. This little ditch will also keep the juices from dripping off the loaf.. kind of a self-basting trick.
I have finally given up on scrounging through the cabinets looking for something to scoop up my pineapple salsa. Let’s face it, I’m really just looking for an excuse to eat it. I finally found the perfect dipper. A BIG SPOON! Now I shamelessly sit down with the whole bowl and the spoon and eat it like cereal. I can’t get enough of the sweet-salty freshness. Oh yeah…. it’s a great accompaniment to pork, chicken and salads. I like that you can get these fresh ingredients year-round. Here’s the stupid-easy recipe. TIP: To peel a pineapple, cut off the top and bottom first and then sit it on a cutting board on its flat bottom. With a sharp knife, peel the outside skin from top to bottom, following the curve of the pineapple. Be sure to cut just behind the dark “eyes” of the pineapple. You don’t want that in your salsa. Slice into quarters and remove the tough core pieces before dicing into bite-size pieces.
Chili preferences are as individual as one’s favorite team. There’s Texas red chili, chili with beans, green chili, hot dog chili… the debate goes on and on. Regardless of which way you lean, most everyone likes chili in one form or another. So why choose just one chili? Why not have a chili bar and make a bunch of people happy at your next winter-time gathering. You could even have a little contest where guests vote for their favorite. I make chili only slightly spicy and then serve hot sauce and jalapeños alongside. You can always add heat. Kind of hard to go back from that. Don’t forget the toppings since that’s half the fun of chili. Chopped fresh cilantro, different kinds of freshly grated cheeses, black olives, sour cream, corn chips and cornbread. Here are two of my favorite chili recipes. The first one is a slightly sweet recipe due to the baked beans. This was originally a vegetarian recipe given to me by my friend Laura. Well, nothing stays vegetarian too long in my house. The result is a uniquely flavored chili that my family loves. The second recipe is colorful crowd-pleasing Southwest version. TIP: use a potato masher to break up the turkey meat while browning. So much easier than the back of a spoon. Just be sure not to use a non-stick pan or you will trash the surface.
This is one of those recipes I encourage people to try because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and it’s not difficult at all, just requires a little patience. When you taste this deeply-flavored, savory soup you will know it was worth the investment of time. Self-serve it to a crowd in a crock pot or kick off a dinner party with steaming crocks of it. I promise guests will be impressed! I also like that you can make the soup a day or so ahead of time and re-heat. Tips: You must cook the onions slowly on medium heat or they will not caramelize and they will burn. If you see the edges getting dark, turn down the heat. If the onions start to stick more than just a little and darken on the edges, add a tiny bit of stock to loosen them up. Your goal is to have soft, evenly colored, golden brown onions with a sweet flavor. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you see that beautiful golden color start to emerge. Just keep it low and slow.
I love, love sun-dried tomatoes. I could spend a really long time just eating them by themselves. Combine them with pasta, spinach, pine nuts and cheese… OH BOY! Happy Mama!! I made this pasta salad for a Christmas party and served it as an appetizer in little individual 2-ounce plastic condiment cups. My guests enjoyed this as something different. Next time, I think I’ll choose a smaller sized pasta so it will fit into the cups a little easier. You could also add other ingredients to this pasta salad like pancetta, olives, artichokes and mushrooms. Just go crazy! It’ll be great!
My family has come to love ground turkey in a variety of dishes where I used to always use ground beef. Tacos, spaghetti sauces, meatballs, chili… I particularly like this salad recipe because it used scratch-made taco seasoning instead of the processed stuff. I think you’ll like the flavor and may find everything you need already in your spice rack. Tip: Heat your pan before adding turkey and onion. Less sticking. If your turkey is just so lean that it sticks anyway, add a little bit of canola oil to get things moving.
Whether it’s a ladies brunch or a birthday party, this chicken salad is one of my go-tos when I don’t have a lot of time to test new recipes. If you need something you can make ahead, make a lot of, and feel confident that it will be gobbled up, this is it!