Creamy Hot Crab Dip!

A creamy, cheesy dip loaded with crab, artichokes, and Asiago.

Everything taste better with Pico De Gallo! NO BULL !! This is a delicious hot crab dish that looks amazing served in your cast Iron skillet right out of the oven! You know how some things just taste better in in a cast iron skillet….well this in one of those recipes! I served this at a party and everyone loved it. I purchased my crab meat at the fish counter. It was actually in a can, but kept cold. It was pretty good, I was quite surprised!

Ingredients

• For the crab dip:
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt (I used 0% Fage)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided (could also substitute Monterrey jack or Mozzarella)
• 14 oz can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 oz jumbo lump crab meat
• Salt
• Pepper
• For the pico de gallo:
• 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onion tops, chopped
• Squeeze of lime juice
• Salt

Instructions

Notes

Yields: 8 servings

Delicious fruit salad with a honey and lime dressing!

This is a great fruit salad! The addition of lime and honey is yummo….NO BULL! You can add any fruit you wish, I added raspberries, black berries and blueberries  to mine!

1  pineapple chunks, drained well
1 can mandarin oranges, drained well
2-3 ripe kiwi, peeled and sliced into thick half moons
1 cup grapes, halved
1 cup strawberries, quartered

Zest from one lime, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)
Combine the fruit in a medium-large serving bowl. Add the lime zest and poppy seeds, if using, and gently toss. Drizzle the honey over the fruit and again, gently mix until the fruit is evenly coated with the honey. Serve.

A tasty combination of Mac and Cheese and Buffalo Chicken!

1 pound (16 oz) elbow macaroni
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce (preferably Frank’s. If you are worried about the heat factor add half the amount)
2 tablespoons  flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 pound (16 oz) yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup panko breadcrumbs (found in the grocery store next to regular breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half and add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

Combine the chicken mixture, cooked pasta, and cheese sauce and toss to combine.

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Best served immediately. Makes around 8 servings.

Cobb Salad filled with goodness!

One of my other favorite foods besides soup is a delicious salad. NO BULL , I think I could l be happy eating one or the other every day. I found this recipe and basically used it for the dressing recipe. I made this for a party I was attending.  I used romaine and head lettuce in my version. I’m posting the recipe as written, you can make the modifications you would like. Because I was making if for a crowd I doubled the dressing recipe and added more egg, avocado, and of course bacon. I also added a sprinkle of blue cheese on the top as a final touch. I have now taken this to several parties by request!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 head of romaine
• 1/2 head of Boston lettuce
• 1 small bunch of frisée (curly endive) I didn’t use this!
• 1/2 bunch of watercress, coarse stems discarded All lettuces should be rinsed, spun or patted dry, and coarsely chopped
• 6 slices of bacon
• 2 ripe avocados, seed removed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 whole skinless boneless chicken breast (about 3/4 pound total), halved, cooked, and diced ( I used Rotisserie Chicken)
• 1 tomato, seeded and chopped fine
• 2 hard-boiled large eggs, separated, the yolk finely chopped and the white finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely grated Roquefort

A great comfort food meal!

I am so addicted to pintrest website right now. Every recipe I have made from this site has turned out great. Even my 15 year old loved it. It has been ages since I made a chicken and rice casserole. I came home from work tonight and made this in no time. I cooked both the wild rice and the white rice in the same pan and had no problem.  I always have frozen chicken tenders in my freezer. Someone taught me to put the desired amount in a freezer bag and quickly cook them in the microwave. I always start with 5 minutes and turn often. Add time until done cooking.  I’m surprised at how tender the chicken comes out. This is a great little trick when you need chicken in a hurry.  Serve this meal with a salad! 

Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Another successful recipe I found on pintrest. I knew this would be good when I saw it was a recipe from Ina Garten. This is the easiest appetizer you will ever make. Simply cube the cheese add the garlic and herbs and pop into a hot over. I made this for my kids during a Christmas celebration and they loved it. This would be a great appetizer to take to a party, just have everything assembled in your cast iron skillet and pop in the oven for only 6 minutes and you are done. Serving this in a cast iron skillet looks amazing. I pulled this out of the oven and the kids all ooohed and awwed.

Baked Fontina
source: adapted from How Easy is That? by Ina Garten

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs Italian fontina, rind removed and cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Adjust top rack of the oven so that it sits about 5 inches under the broiler unit. Preheat broiler.
2. Spread cheese out in the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron pan.  Drizzle olive oil over the cheese.  Mix together the garlic and herbs in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cheese.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the cheese.
3. Bake for 6 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and melted through.  Carefully remove the pan from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface – the pan will be hot!  Serve immediately.

A super simple dessert!

This is an awesome recipe for a crowd.  You can use any pie filling you choose. I chose Cherry and Apple. I took this dessert into work and the guys in the shop loved it. Super simple and fast to make. Take it to your next pitch in.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cans pie filling, your choice

Directions:
1. Cream sugar and butter in mixing bowl. Add eggs, salt and milk. Mix thoroughly.

2. Slowly add flour to mixture and blend slowly. Next add baking powder and baking soda. Mix well.

3. Measure 1-1/2 cups of pastry and set aside. Lightly grease a cookie sheet (10 x 15- inch) that has sides. Pat the remaining pastry all over and up the short sides.

3. Pour pie filling onto the pastry. With remaining pastry, roll out on floured surface and cut into shapes or strips. Arrange on top of pie. Make an egg wash using 1 egg that has been lightly whisked. Using a pastry brush, paint the egg on all pastry that is showing.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 1/2 orange, cut into slices
• 1 1/2 cups vodka
• 1 cup chilled Ginger Ale
• 4 mint springs

Cook a pierced potato in the microwave until it’s soft all the way through – about 10-12 minutes total, flipping over every 1-2 minutes. Cut the potato in half, then cut each half into squares. Don’t cut all the way through, just down to the skin. Season with butter, parmesan cheese and Lowry’s seasoning salt, then pop them into the middle rack of your oven set to broil for 10-15 minutes.