Review Friday: Moe and Joe's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

 

This is SO GOOD. It really tastes like you made it yourself (not that anyone here has ever scooped it into a bowl and claimed that). And it should taste like you made it at home, because you could. The ingredients are my favorite part about this dip. They are so simple - it's spinach, artichokes, feta cheese, garlic and a few other things. No crazy whattheheckdoesthatsay and icantpronouceyou crap. It's good honest real food. I reeeeally like this dip with Popcorners. Normally I would serve a spinach type dip with tortilla chips or pita chips, but the extra salt on the Popcorners makes it a perfect combo.

Moe and Joe's has other varieties as well like Chipotle Garlic Salsa, Mexicali Dip, Artichoke and Garlic Salsa, and Spinach Dip. I've only tried the Spinach and Artichoke Dip, but the cashier  where I bought it said the Mexicali Dip is something she can't live without. I imagine that all the varieties are equally as delicious. What are you waiting for? Go find some!

Veggie Pizza

Have you ever noticed that graduation parties and reunions have some of the best food ever?  I love good old fashioned party food, and this is one of my favorite appetizers.  Delicious!  The recipe is adapted from a cookbook that my parents gave me a few years back, which was made by the family of one of the guys that my dad works with.  Long story, I know, but I try to give credit where it's due.  Here are the ingredients:

 

two cans refrigerated crescent rolls

two 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 packet of ranch dressing mix (dry)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup sour cream

assorted raw veggies of your choice (here are some ideas):

• chopped broccoli


• shredded carrots


• chopped cauliflower


• sliced mushrooms


• sliced radishes


• black olives

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and ranch dressing packet.  Unroll the crescent roll dough and cover the bottom of a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan and pinch the edges together (make sure you press the perforations together as well).  Prick the dough all over with a fork.  Bake the crescent roll dough for 10 minutes until very lightly browned.  Remove from oven and spread on the cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle the assorted veggies on top of the cheese.  Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top of the veggies.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Cut into squares and serve.

Hot Crab Dip

When it's summertime, I always think of eating seafood.  It's delicious, summery and light.  This is the perfect summer appetizer that will rival any crab dip that you would order at a restaurant.  It's also great for holidays as well.  This is my aunt's recipe, and she always brings it to my grandma's house for Christmas.  It's gone in about two seconds.  So here it is...my gift to you!  Think of it as Christmas in July!

 

1 can crab meat (6 oz)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon finely minced onion

grated parmesan cheese for the topping

 

Combine all ingredients (except for the parmesan cheese) and pour into a shallow baking dish.  Top with a layer of grated parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees until brown and bubbly.

Striped Jello

Let's be honest:  I love jello.  It's a weakness.  Whenever I was a kid, Jello came up with the Jello "jiggler" idea and I was sold.  I've always thought Jello was awesome...and this is the ultimate summer Jello dessert.  You can use any kind of jello you want, which makes this dish perfect for just about any occasion.  For instance, if I took this to my family's Italian Picnic at the end of summer, I would maybe only use red and green jello.  Or if this was for my sister's graduation from Virginia Tech, I would have used dark red and orange jello.  See what I'm saying?  It's versatile and delicious.  Although if you are not making this dish for a specific event, follow my "suggestion" for flavors below.  It's a proven winner.  Plus, once this is finished, it's absolutely beautiful.

 

6 small boxes of jello, any flavors (my favorite combo is cherry, orange, lemon, lime, blue raspberry, and grape)

2 cups sour cream

 

Dissolve 1 box of jello with 1 cup boiling water.  Take out 1/3 cup of the jello mix and combine with 1/3 cup of sour cream; whisk together and set aside.  Pour the clear layer of jello in a 9x13 inch glass pan.  Let this layer gel (it will be very thin, but it needs to be firm).  Once the first layer is gelled, pour the jello/sour cream mixture over top and let this layer gel.  Repeat the above steps with the remaining 5 boxes of jello.  Be sure to let each gel layer set before adding the next layer.  This is time consuming, but once the first layer is set, the others will set quickly.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

There are many, many versions of this recipe floating around on the internet...and in my kitchen.  Unfortunately I didn't write down the source of my recipe, but I think it is a combo of my grandma's version and an internet recipe I found at some point.  Some versions for this call for crushed pineapple, but I am not a fan of that...I think it takes away from the deliciousness.  Feel free to add that though, if it's your style!

Do your family a favor this weekend and make this for your Fourth of July festivities.  Then do yourself a favor and make a separate batch, just for yourself.  This stuff never lasts long at picnics!

 

Crust:

2 cups crushed pretzels (regular ones - not the thick ones)

3/4 cup melted butter

3 tablespoons sugar

 

Middle Layer:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

8 ounces cool whip, thawed

 

Top Layer: 

1 six ounce package of strawberry jello

2 cups boiling water

2 ten ounce packages of frozen, unsweetened strawberries (sliced if you can find them)

 

Mix the ingredients for the crust together and press into a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes and then let cool completely.  Beat the cream cheese and the sugar together for the middle layer.  Once these ingredients are combined, gently mix in the cool whip.  Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled pretzel crust.  Next, combine the jello and boiling water together and stir until the jello is dissolved.  Set this aside for a few minutes to cool.  Then, mix the frozen strawberries into the jello mixture (it's okay if the jello starts to thicken at this point...it's because of the frozen berries).  Pour the jello/strawberry mixture over the cream cheese mixture.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

 

Or you can dig into it early, and it will be a little sloppy...but you won't care because it's so yummy.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone - have a safe and happy holiday weekend, and remember the reason that we are celebrating!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

I heart chicken, in case you hadn't noticed.  I've always been a bit of a picky eater, and now I live with another picky eater.  Sometimes it's hard to make things that won't weird her out.  I'm always happy with what I perceive to be "kid food" - pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, etc.  So last night I decided that I was in the mood for some "real" chicken nuggets.  I thought briefly about going to Chick Fil A, but I decided that I was too broke (sad but true) to do that.  So I busted out some chicken I had in my freezer, and the rest was delicious history.

 

3 whole boneless chicken breasts

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 to 2 tablespoons garlic salt (to taste)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

milk

 

Cut the chicken breasts up into 1 inch cubes.  Put the cut up chicken into a bowl and cover with milk (I used 2%, but I'm not sure it matters).  Mix together breadcrumbs, garlic salt, and oregano.  Take a few pieces of the chicken at a time and toss in the breadcrumbs.  Place breaded chicken pieces in a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Don't worry if the pieces touch each other in the dish.  Once all the chicken is in the baking dish, spray the top of the chicken lightly with cooking spray and cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35-40 minutes.

**I dipped my nuggets in honey mustard, but they are delicious plain, too!

Asparagus Rolls

I'm back from my hiatus!  Sorry I've been remiss on the blog posting...as Rose so delightfully pointed out a few posts ago, I've been busy getting a new and exciting project started!

Anyhoo, Easter is almost upon us, which obviously makes me think of Easter food.  I mean, hello - obvious connection!  Here is one of my favorite appetizers of all time - it sounds a little odd, but try it...I promise you'll love it too.  Plus, asparagus is such a springtime vegetable - go for it!

1.5 lb loaf bread (I use sliced white bread, but you can use wheat or whatever you'd like)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons horseradish

14 and 1/2 ounce can asparagus spears (or you can use fresh asparagus spears that you precooked)

butter, melted

paprika

Remove crusts from bread, and roll bread in both directions with a rolling pin to flatten.  Mash the cream cheese and horseradish together, and blend thoroughly.  Spread the cheese mixture thinly on the bread.  Place one asparagus spear at the edge of the slice of bread, and roll up tightly.  Cut the roll into one inch pieces and place on a greased baking sheet.  Brush lightly with butter and sprinkle with paprika.  Refrigerate until ready to bake.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown.

Chinese Chicken

Okay, all you specialists of Asian cooking/cuisine - clearly this is not an authentic recipe.  This recipe is not actually from China, and it is probably not served in a Chinese restaurant of any kind.  I'm Italian.  I admit it.  I don't know the first thing about using a wok.  What I DO know, however, is that my Gram used to make this for me when our family had our annual Chinese New Year dinner.  Also, I had (real) Chinese food last night, so I now I have a real hankerin' for this.  It's an easy, delicious, do-it-yourself version of sweet and sour chicken.  It's delicious on its own, or with the sweet and sour sauce.  Here's how to make it:

CHICKEN:

boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds)

soft fresh breadcrumbs (go ahead and make your own!)

garlic salt

milk

Cut the chicken in chunks/cubes, place in a dish and sprinkle it with garlic salt.  Cover the chicken with milk, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Once the chicken has marinaded, roll the chicken in the breadcrumbs and fry them in a skillet until brown, then place in a baking dish and bake covered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

SWEET AND SOUR PINEAPPLE SAUCE:

Get a large can of pineapple chunks and drain, saving 1 cup of pineapple juice from the can.  In a saucepan, heat the juice along with 2 tablespoons of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch.  Cook until the sauce thickens, then add the pineapple chunks back into the sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Puffs

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Here's a delicious new twist on an old favorite. Buffalo chicken puffs. These are so addictive! I made lot of appetizers a few weeks ago for a party, and due to very limited space, I had to think of ways to condense. Instead of having a dip and then something to dip with, I turned all my dips into puffs and they were a huge hit! These were so easy and I think I'll be making these as a new standard. First, just roll out a can of Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust and cut into 24 squares. Fill with little scoops of buffalo chicken mixture, and make each one into a little pouch by pinching all four corners together and put the pinched part down into mini muffin tins coated in pam no-stick spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 425 degrees.

Filling:

1 can chicken breast, shredded

4-5 Tablespoons Hidden Valley ranch dressing

2-3 Tablespoons Frank's Red Hot

1/2 block cream cheese

approx 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

[caption id="attachment_543" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Out of the oven"][/caption]

 

Pumpkin Dip

I’m pretty sure everyone has their tried and true Thanksgiving staples – turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing. I really think that no matter how great a new recipe is, nothing tastes quite as good as the way your own family makes it. Thanksgiving is all about family and tradition and I don’t think you should mess with a good thing. That being said, I’m never against trying something new as long as it doesn’t replace an old favorite. Here’s a tasty treat that can be put out as an appetizer or a dessert on turkey day. Enjoy!

2 cups (or a little more) of powdered sugar

1 can (8 oz) pumpkin

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened (this is important! SOFTENED!)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

A little extra fresh ground nutmeg (depending on how spicy you like it)

Mix the softened cream cheese together (I mean really softened and creamy or else it will have weird white lumps that are impossible to smooth out later - I microwave mine for about 25 seconds) with the powdered sugar until very smooth. Add in the pumpkin ½ cup at a time and mix well. Mix in the spices and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving (it's better overnight). If you want to be really cute and festive, hollow out a little pumpkin (and eat the delicious scrapings and seeds, of course) and use that as your serving dish. Serve with ginger snaps or Nilla wafers.

Buffalo Chicken Dip II

While I realize that there is already a Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe on this website, this is a slightly different and oven-style version.  My parents are coming down this week to visit (!!!) and I'm making this for my mom, who was hinting around that she really wanted some.  So here goes - a hit at every party, and a slightly different option than the first one on this site - both are WONDERFUL choices to serve at a party or for your guests.  Or just for yourself.  Let's be honest.

1 and a half pounds cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded

15 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

8 ounces ranch dressing

6 ounces hot sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until everything is blended together well.  Spread mixture evenly in a pie plate or a shallow baking dish.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Pizza Dip

This dip is so simple, but it’s really addicting. You’ll probably have to make a double batch if you are putting this out for a party. It’s also nice because just like pizza, you can add whatever “toppings” you like and it turns out great. My favorite is just the stripped down version - mushrooms and pepperoni, but I’ve also added in onions, green peppers, and black olives for a “supreme” pizza dip and everyone loved it.

1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup

1 – 8 oz package Philly cream cheese

1 cup chopped up deli sandwich pepperoni

In a sauce pan, combine ingredients and heat until melted together. Transfer to a pie dish and pop in the oven at around 400 degrees until bubbly. I serve this with ripped up Lender’s plain bagels.

Taco Dip

I'm having a fiesta next Tuesday night at 8pm.  Why, you ask?  Well, because new episodes of NCIS are starting up, and I could NOT be more excited about it!  Setting aside my undying love for Mark Harmon, this show is extremely excellent in all ways.  Mystery, drama, humor, and great acting - I could really talk about this for hours (and Rose and I have done just that).  But I digress.  Onto the food!  Fiestas always deserve something yummy, and this dip is just that.  Serve it at a party, or just make it for yourself...you won't be sorry!

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

8 oz sour cream

1 packet dry taco seasoning

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or try pepper jack if you're feeling spicy)

1/4 head lettuce, shredded

1 tomato, diced

additional topping ideas: green peppers, green onions, black olives, cilantro

Use an electric mixer (or the back of a spoon) to whip up the cream cheese so that it's extremely creamy.  Add the sour cream, and then the taco seasoning.  Mix until well combined, creamy, and smooth.  Spread mixture on the bottom of a 9x9 square pan.  Top with cheese, then lettuce, then tomatoes and additional toppings.  Chill in refrigerator.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Recommendation - this will go fast at a party, so make a double batch!  :)

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

A classic. Also, this may be the recipe from the hot sauce bottle, I don’t know and I’m not going to look it up. I’ve been given a few different recipes for this, and this is the best and probably the easiest. Once people know this stuff’s in the room – look out. It’s like a stampede.

2 large cans chicken breast, shredded

1 small bottle Hidden Valley ranch dressing

1 pound bag shredded cheddar cheese

1 package cream cheese

Frank’s Red Hot to taste ( I think I usually use about a 1/4 cup)

Melt all the ingredients together in a pan, leaving out a handful of cheddar. Put mixture into the crockpot, sprinkle the cheese on top, and let simmer for at least 2 hours before serving. It’s ready when it’s all heated together in the pan, but do yourself a favor and don’t leave out the crockpot step. It makes it so much better and all the flavors come together in a beautiful way. I like serving this with Tostidos Scoops.

Artichoke Dip

I think it’s pretty clear – I like dip. A lot. This dip is always a big hit at parties. Kids don’t seem to like it, but I can remember having it at every one of my birthday parties growing up because all the adults would flock around the bowl. It was gone within minutes. Now that I have a more advanced palate (just because I enjoy pre-packaged junk doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the good stuff, too) I couldn’t agree more. This stuff is yummy and it’s simple to make.

2 cans chopped artichokes

2 cups parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

Bake in a pie plate for ½ hour at 425 degrees. Serve hot with Triscuits.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Every single restaurant now has some form of spinach and artichoke dip. It’s apparently very popular. I order it all the time, but guess what? My aunt made up this recipe and it is waaay better than anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Use the best ingredients you can find and I guarantee that you’ll be suckered into making this for every party you go to from now on.

1 pound provolone

1 pound mozzarella

½ pound pecorino romano

2 boxes chopped frozen spinach, squeezed dry

2 jars alfredo sauce

2 cans quartered artichokes, chopped small

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix and scoop into 2 pie plates (plus some left over that I fill little ramekins with and freeze for a dip fix later on). Bake at 375 degrees for 23-30 minutes or until lightly golden and bubbly. You can serve with any kind of bread or cracker, but I like Tostidos.

Spinach Balls

2 boxes frozen spinach, chopped and drained

2 cups stuffing mix

6 eggs, beaten

¾  cup melted margarine

¾ tablespoon garlic powder

2 large onions chopped finely

½ to ¾ cup grated parmesan

½ cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon pepper

Mix well and form into bite-sized balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

These are SO good! Extremely addictive and just all around tasty. They are great to throw in the freezer when you first make them and then pull out when you need a quick appetizer. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love these.

No Frills Fruit Dip

1 small jar marshmallow fluff
1 – 8 oz cream cheese
dash of almond extract
maraschino cherry juice for color

Usually when you serve a fruit tray at a party, it’s to give people a healthier option. Most people take some fruit and a little bit of dip. I’m not most people. This is so good, I just use the piece of fruit as a utensil to access the dip. Meet the apple spoon. Is it wrong to lick off the apple and go back for more? Yes. I do it anyway. Don’t judge me.

Grandma’s Olive Spread

Let me start off by saying that this is an acquired taste. I think you either love this or hate it. I love it - maybe because no one else really liked it, and grandma would make it just for me. I don’t know, but I crave it. For me, this is one of the ultimate comfort foods. If you like green olives, give it a shot. It's fantastic with the butterfly shaped butter crackers.

8 oz package of cream cheese

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped green manzanilla olives

Little bit of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of the olive juice

These are the exact directions from grandma – I could change them, but it’s not as funny:

Stir well. This should be mushy, but it will thicken. Let the cream cheese get soft (room temperature). You don’t really need the mayo.

Ranch Crackers

12 oz plain oyster crackers
1 packet Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dry mix
¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
½ teaspoon dill weed
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup salad oil

Combine on a baking tray and place in 200 degree oven for 20 minutes. I know this isn’t the most inventive recipe, but it’s tasty and makes me want to have a picnic. These are so easy and a great little snack on the go.