Spinach Dip

Julie brought this dip to our church's open house. It is delicious!! I was able to take some home with me over Christmas break and everyone was asking for the recipe. So I thought I'd ask Julie if I could post it on my blog and she said, "Yes!" So here it is!!

Spinach Dip
from: Julie

1 cup mayo
1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 cup water chestnuts, chopped
2 cups sour cream
1 packet Knorr Dried Vegetable Soup

Mix together. Refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. Serve with Hawaiian Bread Bowl (from Hy-Vee).

Enjoy!!

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This is my favorite recipe for spinach and artichoke dip. It tastes just like Applebee's dip if you've ever had it there. Yumm-O! I think the special ingredient is the creamed spinach.

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (9-11 oz) pkg frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (not the kind out of the shaker)
diced red bell pepper for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine artichoke, spinach, mayo and sour cream.
2. Add garlic and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Spoon into a small greased baking dish.
3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with red bell pepper and serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!!!

Chicken Empanadas

This is a recipe from one of my bloggy friends, Sarah, at Short Stop. Her Chicken Empanadas looked delicious and I'm so amazed that it's a recipe she came up with on her own (minus the "extra butt")! Way to go, Sarah!! She has given me permission to post her recipe here for you all to enjoy (please check out her blog for the full tutorial and all the beautiful pictures to go along with it). It's really simple and it's so yummy!!


Chicken Empanadas
Sarah's Recipe

2 chicken breasts, roasted
1 jalapeno, seeded (if desired)
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
1 small onion
8 ounces Mexican blend cheese, shredded
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) package of frozen pie crust or homemade pie crust for a double crust pie

Place chicken, jalapeno, red pepper, green pepper, and onion in a food processor and process til blended and chopped. Or finely chop on a cutting board or mat into very small pieces. Remove from food processor and place in a medium bowl. Add Mexican blend cheese, cream cheese, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Roll out pie dough and using a biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter, or edge of a drinking glass, cut dough into circles. Using a pastry brush, brush edges with water.

Place one rounded teaspoon of filling into each round, and fold over to form a half-moon shape. Gently press the edges closed to seal. Using a fork, make indentations all the way around the edges to seal completely.

Place the empanadas on a greaased, foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the crust is golden.

Serve warm with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, or ranch dressing for dipping.

*Note: These are appetizer-sized Chicken Empanadas. This recipe makes a TON of these. Store remainder in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in oven or toaster oven until heated through.


Ok, here are my notes:

1. I omitted the jalapeno. I'm intimidated by using this spicy vegetable.
2. I didn't have any green peppers so I just used red and orange.
3. I didn't use the full 2 tsp of cumin and I thought it was spicy enough - maybe 1 1/2 tsp.
4. I used 2 (15 ounce) packages of refrigerated pie crust. 1 package wasn't enough. I don't know if I wasn't rolling out the dough thin enough or if I wasn't using enough filling in each empanada (even though the filling was oozing out of the pastry).

These are delicious and the recipe does make a lot. It was a really simple process and we enjoyed this yummy snack!!

Cowboy Caviar

This is a recipe I got from my dear friend, Sue. It's so delicious and not what I expected at all the first time I had it. It's sweet and salty all together. It's really yummy and it makes a TON so be prepared!!


Cowboy Caviar

1 can shoepeg corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1 can chopped black olives
1 can or jar of chopped green olives (I omitted)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional, I omitted)

Drain cans, rinse beans and mix all ingredients.

Boil together:
1 cup oil
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Pour over mixture and refrigerate overnight. Serve with Frito Scoops. You may need to drain off some of the liquid.

Enjoy!!

BLT Dip

My friend, Wendi, served this dip at a grill-out in her backyard in the fall of '08. It's really yummy and fresh-tasting (just what I needed on a super-cold winter's night). Tonight we shared it with some friends who came over for game night.

BLT Dip
courtesy of Recipezaar #16884
makes 3-4 cups

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper or celery
1 large tomato, seeded and diced (I used 3 Roma's since they're our favorite)
1 lb bacon, cooked crisp, drained, cooled, and crumbled
1/2 tsp garlic powder
black pepper, to taste
shredded lettuce to garnish (optional)

1. In medium bowl, with mixer, blend sour cream, mayo, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chopped onion and green pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper.
2. Add bacon and tomato to mixture; stir well.
3. Garnish with shredded lettuce just before serving, if desired.

I served this dip with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and Wheat Thins. You'll need about two boxes of Wheat Thins for this recipe. Also, you can get away with using light cream cheese and even omitting the mayo if you want a lower fat version. It's really simple and super delicious.

Mexi-Corn Dip

1 can Mexi-corn (corn with peppers)
1 small can green chilis
1 cup mayo
1 cup colby-jack cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)
1 tsp cumin

Grease a 9x9 pan. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips:
Can keep warm in a crock pot on low heat.
May add a small can of chicken breast.

This is a recipe I got from my friend Nichole. She brought it to Bunco this last month and I thought it was delicious. I'm trying to think of how I can make it a meal. ;)