Jalepeno Popper Dip

Here's another recipe I found after googling "easy appetizers."  I tweaked it a bit as I went along.  I used a 9x9 pan, and spread 1 8oz pkg of cream cheese across the bottom of the pan.

I bought 2 cans of chiles (instead of 1 can chilies, 1 can jalepenos) and poured them over the cream cheese. Then I spread a handful of Mexican blend cheese on top, and topped with panko bread crumbs and a little bit of Parmesan cheese.  I baked it at 375 for about 25 minutes (just until top is golden brown)

Pepperoni Pull-Apart Bread

The other day, I googled "easy appetizers" to find something to bring to a party I went to recently.  I came across this and decided to try it.  It was delicious, but I think next time I might add more cheese and pepperoni to each biscuit.

You could also try other fillings, like veggies or other meats.

Pull-Apart Bread (looks like a Bloomin' Onion)

I got this recipe from Pinterest.  It was originally from this blog.

I used some substitutions.  I couldn't find thinly sliced Monterey Jack cheese, and the line at the deli was insane,  so I opted for Sargento's thinly sliced Provolone cheese.  The recipe called for 12-16 oz, so I bought 2 7 oz packs.  I didn't even use the whole first pack, because I couldn't fit anymore cheese in the slits.  Stop and Shop was out of scallions, so I used the chopped (dried) chives from the spice cabinet.  I also used sesame seeds instead of poppy seeds.

I was thinking about it and there are so many options for fillings.  You could do a pizza bread, a cinnamon apple bread, or any kind of cheese.  The possibilities are endless!

Tangy Dill Dip

1 small container plain Greek Yogurt
1 packet dill dip mix (or equal parts dried dill, onion powder and garlic powder)
dash hot sauce
dash champagne vinegar (I think any white vinegar will do.  I like the sparkling tang of the champagne vinegar)
assortment of spices (I used dried parsley, cayenne pepper, dried chives, cumin and dried mint)

Baked Mexican Dip

You Will Need:

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
approximately 1/2 jar salsa
a few handfuls of shredded mexican blend cheese
8 x8 baking pan (I love the one-time use ones with lids, found in the baking section of most grocery stores)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spread cream cheese to cover the bottom of the pan
3. pour salsa over the cream cheese
4. cover salsa layer with shredded cheese
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted
6. Serve with tortilla chips (or any other dipper of your choice) and enjoy!

Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders with Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce

(please note that I didn’t measure anything.  I made up the recipe as I went along.)

chicken

egg

flour

panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

any spices you want (I used cumin, cayenne pepper and turmeric)

honey

mustard

chives (I used the dried kind in a jar, but I bet fresh would work just as well, if not better!)

beaten egg

1. Cut up pieces of chicken, and coat with egg.

2. dredge each piece in flour (mixed with salt and pepper)

3. coat with egg and flour again

4. dip in egg a 3rd time

5. dip in panko (mixed with spices)

6. bake at 450 until golden brown.  20 minutes worked for me, but if you want the outside to be browner, adjust time to your liking

7. while chicken is baking, make your sauce.   Mix equal parts yellow mustard and honey, add a sprinkling of chives

8. Serve and enjoy!

image: cooks.com