Category Archives: Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is fast approaching.  Are you ready for it?  Do you plan to watch?  Personally, I’m not watching for the game.  I like to see the commercials and eat some good food with friends.  And every year I like to create some tasty new recipes for our gathering.  This year, my recipes are all appetizer/snack based, are easy to make, great finger foods for a crowd, something the kids will like, and make good leftovers.  Here is what I have for you: Bacon Wrapped Potato Wedges Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders Taco Seasoned Oyster Crackers Mini Cheeseburger Bites   Let’s walk through how to make each recipe: BACON WRAPPED POTATO WEDGES This is a simple recipe that combines popular ingredients to create a wonderful finger food.  The potatoes are soft and tender, the bacon is salty and crisp, and the dipping sauce brings it all together.  It’s like a baked potato you eat with your hands 😊 The nice … Continue reading

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Bacon wrapped anything is good, but a variety of bacon wrapped appetizers to serve at a holiday gathering or tailgating party is even better!  You and your guests will devour each recipe I’m going to share with you today.  I don’t remember when the “bacon craze” started but it seems to be sticking around, and I’m here for it!  These recipes are all fairy easy to make, can be made ahead of time, are bite-sized / finger foods, and make a decent amount so you shouldn’t have to double or triple the recipes (but you can if you want). Here are the recipes and we’ll walk through how to make each one: Glazed Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts Bacon Wrapped Tater Tot Cups Brown Sugar Bacon Crackers Parmesan Bacon Crackers Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Lit’l Smokies   One thing I want to point out is you want to use normal, everyday bacon that is thin or … Continue reading

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Are you ready for some football?  Or raise your hand if you care more about the food being served at a football party than the game itself.  My hand is stretched high!  Sure, the game is fun to watch, and I enjoy the comradery of being with friends and rooting for our team, but I also enjoy salty snacks and some gourmet grub while I’m being entertained 🙂 I want to share with you some recipes that will be perfect for your next football party! Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread Bowl Jalapeno Popper Pigs in a Blanket Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower Bites 4 Dip Sheet Pan with Pull Apart Bread Cookies & Cream Football Dip   Let’s start with the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pull Apart Bread Bowl.  First off, this is amazing and 2 of us can devour the whole thing if we skip dinner.  Just to paint a picture … Continue reading

Posted in Dessert, Party, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Touchdown Treats

Make tonight’s dinner a fast and fun meal that’s completely customizable with sheet pan nachos!  These are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser and are super easy to make.  Simply layer your toppings, bake, and enjoy! One big plus of these is they only take one pan to make so clean up is a breeze, and the pan doubles as the serving vessel so you can simply dig in and be satisfied in no time. I have 3 recipes to share with you today: Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos Sheet Pan BBQ Chicken Nachos Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Nachos   As mentioned previously, these would make for a great weeknight meal.  Otherwise, serve them at a football party, birthday party, weekend cookout, holiday party, etc.  The options are endless!  The recipes make a large enough quantity that you can feed a crowd. Let’s start with Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos.  These are … Continue reading

Posted in 4th of July, Halloween, Holidays, Labor Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Party, Poultry, Super Bowl, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Sheet Pan Nachos

Cake Pops are a fun phenomenon and something I had to try.  When I think of a Cake Pop, I think of cake that is coated in melted chocolate, skewered on a stick, and served as a bite sized treat.  They can be made in most cake flavors and decorated as simple or elaborate as you want.  They are very similar to truffles but are often a little lighter and truffles aren’t served on a stick. I started my Cake Pop venture before the 4th of July (can you see I’m a bit behind on writing this? :)) but thought these are great treat for any time of year!  You could make some to celebrate Labor Day, the end of summer and kids going back to school, dessert at a BBQ, or just make them because you love cake 🙂 I purchased this fancy Cake Pop maker (little countertop appliance … Continue reading

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When I think of crisp and refreshing, I think of caprese salad.  It has juicy, ripe tomatoes, slices of soft mozzarella, and is finished with incredibly fresh basil leaves.  If you add some French bread and a smear of pesto and can turn a lovely caprese salad into a tasty pizza.  It’s bursting with flavor and is to toasted to perfection. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the French bread in half, horizontally.  If the bread is too long to fit on a baking sheet, slice the bread in half so it will fit.  Make sure you look for soft Italian bread or French bread.  You don’t want to use a hearty baguette or anything that will be too hard and crusty after baking. I like to use store-bought basil pesto, but you can make homemade pesto if you have … Continue reading

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Chicken.  Bacon.  Ranch.  Three things that pair amazingly well together.  Combine them in sandwich form and you have one mighty fine meal.  Think tender chicken, creamy ranch (which really goes with just about anything), and crispy bacon smothered between a bun with some melted cheese for good measure.  This is what dreams are made of.  I may be getting ahead of myself, but I do sure enjoy a good Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich! The recipe can be found here. Start by cooking the bacon according to package instructions.  I like to move the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some of the grease and set aside until I’m ready to use. Add the cream cheese to a large saucepan or pot and heat over medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally to melt the cream cheese.  Once it’s about halfway melted, add the entire packet of ranch seasoning (Ugh, it … Continue reading

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If you are searching for the perfect appetizer or side for your next cookout, look no further!  Grilled Jalapeno Poppers are the way to go!  They are stuffed with an addictive mixture of bacon, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese.  The rich and creamy combination of the stuffing contrasts the spicy jalapeno peppers leaving you wanting more. This is a great alternative to the breaded and fried version because they are fresh, cook up nicely on the grill, and are quite addicting 🙂 You can even skip the bacon for a vegetarian option if you prefer. The recipe can be found here. We own a Jalapeno Grill Rack that we use for this recipe, which I find quite wonderful to use.  If you don’t have one, I highly recommend getting one! Start by preheating the grill to 325 degrees F.  It can be tricky to keep the grill temperature consistent once … Continue reading

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We don’t use our air fryer often but every now and again it’s fun to try a new recipe.  This time we tried an Air Fryer Blooming Onion.  A blooming onion is essentially a large onion that is sliced to resemble a flower, battered, deep fried, and served as an appetizer.  My recipe removes the deep-frying step and has you air fry it instead. The batter creates this lovely crust that is crispy, the onion is tender, and the dipping sauce adds a nice tang to each bite. The recipe can be found here. Start by preparing the onion.  Peel the onion and slice off the stem.  Do not remove the base on the other side of the onion – only remove the stem or end of one side.  Otherwise the onion will fall apart!   Turn the onion so the cut side is down.  Cut an inch from the … Continue reading

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If you read my last blog, you know how much we love sandwiches (or sliders) at our house.  Another food we are obsessed with is chicken wings.  They are so easy to make and can be pair with tons of different sauces to create different flavor combinations.  I want to share with you 3 new chicken wing recipes that are inspired by Asian and Mexican dishes. Orange Chicken Wings Asian Zing Chicken Wings Taco Chicken Wings   All 3 recipes are pretty simply to whip up and have amazing flavor! First up is Orange Chicken Wings.  Think of the orange chicken dish you order at a Chinese restaurant – these chicken wings have a very similar flavor and are bursting with an orangey-citrus taste.  So good! The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the … Continue reading

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