Mexican Cheese Dip
Posted by: CeeCee on: December 7, 2009
I’ve had this recipe for about 20 yrs, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. It can be doubled if you’re feeding a really big crowd.
Mexican Cheese Dip
Serves 20
5 lbs. ground chuck
2 med.-large onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Taco Seasoning Mix (see below) **See Kitchen Note
5 cans refried chili beans
2 cans chopped green chiles
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
5 lbs. Velveeta cheese
Brown ground beef and onions until no pink remains in beef. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Drain off fat and place meat into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and cook on high, stirring often until cheese is about half melted. Turn cooker to low and continue cooking until cheese is completely melted. Turn down to Warm setting and serve with tortilla chips.
~~Kitchen Notes
You can use the pre-packaged taco seasoning if you wish. For this recipe, use 5 pkgs. I like to make my own, so my recipe is below. If you want to use this to make regular tacos, use the amounts in parenthesis, and add some diced onion and garlic to your ground meet.
Taco Seasoning Mix
1 1/2 Tbsp. table salt (1 tsp.)
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder (1 tsp.)
2 1/2 tsp. cornstarch (1/2 tsp.)
2 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (1/2 tsp.)
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano (1/4 tsp. )
2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (1/2 tsp.)
Combine all ingredients in small bowl until evenly distributed.
Enjoy!
Party Time!
Posted by: CeeCee on: December 6, 2009
It’s that time of year again, when we’re all looking for party appetizers. Over the next few days I’ll post recipes and links to some of the ones that are always hits around here.
I’ll start off with a simple Cheese Ball that can be whipped up in no time.
Buttermilk-Ranch Cheese Ball
Serves 8-12 appetizer servings
1 lb. cream cheese, softened
1-2 Tbsp. minced onion (to your taste)
1 pkg. dry Ranch style dressing mix
1 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Combine cream cheese, onion and dressing mix until seasonings are evenly distributed. Chill for 2-3 hours until firm. Remove from fridge and shape mixture into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts.
Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Pie
Posted by: CeeCee on: November 26, 2009
In honor of Thanksgiving, I’m posting a Thanksgiving staple in our family….Sweet Potato Pie. We’re not big Pumpkin Pie eaters, but this substitute seems to always be included in our turkey day menus!
Sweet Potato Pie
Serves 6-8
4 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
10 Tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 deep dish pie crust (See recipes in Pastry section)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Deep dish pie plate (I use a 9.5″ Pyrex glass pie plate)
Cook (boil or bake) sweet potatoes until very tender. Remove skins and place sweet potatoes into a mixer bowl. Beat with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Check the beaters several times during beating and remove strings from beaters. Do this until you don’t get anymore strings. This will ensure the pie is silky smooth. Add remaining ingredients, one at a time, mixing until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pie crust and bake in preheated oven until pie is puffy, slightly cracked around the outside edges, and beginning to brown, 45-60 minutes.
**Kitchen Notes
~~This makes a large amount of filling. If you don’t have a deep dish pie plate, or if you use a store-bought crust (even a deep dish crust), you will have extra left over. This can be baked separately in a small dish that has been well buttered. I sometimes stir in some chopped walnuts and top the extra with coconut for a different kind of treat.
Enjoy!
Rich Butter Pastry
Posted by: CeeCee on: November 26, 2009
This is a good pie crust when you want something a bit special. Make sure you chill the dough well before rolling it out and you’ll be rewarded with a flaky, crispy crust.
Rich Butter Pastry
Makes enough for a double crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, slightly softened
7-8 Tbsp. very cold water
Stir flour and salt together in a medium bowl. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle the smaller amount of water over flour mixture and toss with a fork until all flour is moistened and mixture starts to form a ball. If there is still dry bits in the bottom of the bowl, add the remaining water to moisten. Gather the dough up and form into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill thoroughly for at least 1 hour. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and place into pie plate.
If only using 1/2 of dough, the remaining dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, placed into a freezer bag, and frozen. Use within 4-6 months.
Enjoy!
Bacon-Caramelized Onion Snack Bread
Posted by: CeeCee on: November 22, 2009
- In: Appetizers | Breads
- Leave a Comment
I often caramelize sweet onions as a topping for hamburgers or chicken sandwiches. If I have leftovers, I’ll put them on hearty bread and eat them as a snack the next day. While making homemade pizzas one night, I threw the onions on some extra dough and voilá….a great snack! This doesn’t last long around here, but it’s a great appetizer for parties, or accompaniment to soup.
Bacon Caramelized Onion Snack Bread
1 recipe pizza dough (or pre-made from the deli)
3 slices thick-cut bacon
2 medium sweet onions, sliced in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2 moons
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Equipment: 1/2 sheet pan, jellyroll pan, or pizza pan
Prepare pizza dough and let it rise, or if using pre-made, let it rest and come to room temp, about 1 hour. Roll or shape dough to fit your pan. Poke dough with your fingertips to create little dimples.
In 10 inch skillet, cook bacon till crispy. Remove from pan and add cut onions. Sprinkle onions with about 1 tsp. kosher salt and 1/2 tsp. ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are deep golden brown.
Spread onions onto dough, making sure it’s pretty even. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and a bit more kosher salt and pepper.
Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool slightly on a rack. Cut into pieces and serve.
**Kitchen Notes
~~Sometimes I add other chopped herbs to compliment different soups….basil for tomato soup, thyme, sage, or parsley for chicken soup.
Enjoy!
