Tag Archives: Appetizer

Spicy Grilled Queso is the perfect appetizer or side dish for your next party!  It’s SO SIMPLE to make…you cook the meat, add all ingredients to a disposable pan, heat on the grill, and serve.  It could not be simpler to make or more delicious to eat 😊 It has a slightly smokey taste from the BBQ, a hint of heat from the jalapenos (don’t worry, it’s not overpowering), and plenty of melted cheese for dipping. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the grill to 250-300 degrees F. While the grill preheats, prepare the ingredients.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pound of meat and cook until cooked through, crumbling as it cooks.  Then remove from the heat and set aside. I used Beyond Meat for my recipe because that’s what I had on hand.  This recipe would be amazing with ground beef or a pork sausage.  You could also use ground chicken … Continue reading

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Bacon Jalapeno Crescent Roll Puffs is an easy appetizer or dinner recipe that will be a crowd favorite!  I say appetizer or dinner because the recipe is something most people would serve as an appetizer but if you eat enough of them (like we did) they can also be filling enough for an entire meal 😊 Think of this recipe as a spin on a traditional jalapeno popper.  You still have the jalapeno, bacon, shredded cheese, and cream cheese but instead of being stuffed inside the jalapenos, the ingredients are wrapped in crescent roll dough.  You get crispy bacon and spicy jalapeno, but the heat is cut by the combination of Colby jack and cream cheese.  The crescent roll dough creates this warm, soft, pillowy blanket to hold the ingredients together.  They are addictive! The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook the … Continue reading

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Are you ready for the Kentucky Derby?  It’s usually held on the first Saturday in May, making it this upcoming Saturday, May 7, 2022.  A lot of people like to gather with friends and family to watch the races and enjoy some good food and drink.  I believe it’s known as “the greatest two minutes of sports” so why not spend all day in the kitchen for 2 minutes of cheering pleasure? 😊  Kidding…it’s a very fun horse race to watch! I will be preparing the following items to enjoy during our viewing pleasure, and you might notice a theme… Kentucky (where the derby is held) and whiskey/bourbon (sponsors of the event and heavily influenced in the south). Kentucky Hot Brown Dip Whiskey Spiced Chicken Wings Kentucky Oaks Cocktail Maple Bourbon Candied Pecans   Kentucky Hot Brown Dip is a rich a creamy dip that encompasses the wonderful ingredients and flavors of a … Continue reading

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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

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If you follow my blog, you are probably aware that I recently wrote a post about Grilled Jalapeno Poppers.  They are a great appetizer, a fun dish for a BBQ or cookout, and are full of flavor and spice!  I recently made a vegan version of the same grilled jalapeno popper recipe and want to share it with you today. The recipe can be found here. Jalapeno Poppers are essentially hollowed out jalapenos that are stuffed with cheese (non-dairy cheese in this case) and spices, are frequently breaded (we are skipping this step), and either fried, baked, or grilled to perfection.  They are a guaranteed crowd pleaser! To make my Vegan Grilled Jalapeno Poppers, you must first make Vegan Cream Cheese. You can buy plain vegan cream cheese from your local grocery store or make your own.  I prefer to make homemade vegan cream cheese.  For the most part, it … Continue reading

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BBQ Chicken Pizza Rolls are a spin on a classic pizza roll recipe.  Imagine a pizza but replace the traditional ingredients like pepperoni and sausage and with BBQ sauce and chicken.  Then imagine that same pizza in a bite sized form.  That is basically what a pizza roll is; all your favorite ingredients rolled up and nestled in fluffy dough. The BBQ sauce replaces the marinara sauce in this dish and add the perfect amount of zest to each bite.  It pairs perfectly with the tender chicken, crisp bacon, and melted cheese. The recipe can be found here. Start by removing the pizza dough from the tube.  Place it in a well-oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  You want the dough to come to room temperature and then rise for about 1 hour.  This makes the dough easier to work with, similar to homemade dough.  And since I’m on … 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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Taquitos are a fun hand-held treat that are crunchy and delicious.  You can customize the filling and change up the flavors to create different versions of the same dish and cook them in different ways.  They can be deep fried, baked in an oven or cooked in an air fryer.  I bet you could even use an Instant Pot, but I haven’t figured that recipe out yet 🙂 I’ve use Taquitos as both an appetizer and dinner.  They work well as an appetizer if you are hosting a party and want finger foods or if you plan to bring them to a potluck.  They are a quick grab-and-go item as you typically don’t need a plate or silverware.  Dinner is also an option if you want the Taquitos to be the main event. I think you can convert anything into Buffalo Chicken so that is the recipe I want to … Continue reading

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Pizza is always on my mind.  I could eat it for every meal of the day, and sometime do.  I have no shame (wink).  I also love tacos but eat them far less frequently.  One night we were deciding what to have for dinner and couldn’t decide between the two, and quite honestly, I can’t blame us.  Both are simple to make, offer a variety of flavor options, and can come together in no time.  Our compromise was to make a Taco Pizza and have the best of both worlds.  The end result was quite tasty!  I mean, as Homer Simpson always says, “Mmmmm…. Pizza”. The recipe can be found here. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Unroll 2 tubes of crescent rolls and lay them on the baking sheet, slightly overlapping each other to make them fit.  Pinch the … Continue reading

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