Jo’s Fruit Dip

1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla 

Blend ingredients together. Dip fruit in it. 

Apples, strawberries, pineapple, raspberries, are some of my favorites with it. Green grapes are good too!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

My family loves this dip!

3 c. chicken 

8 oz. cream cheese

12 oz. ranch

1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese

1 c. Frank's Hot Sauce

Add shredded chicken to casserole dish. Sprinkle hot sauce. Combine cream cheese and Ranch. Pour over top. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly. Add cheese and bake until melted.

Black Bean Salsa

I love this recipe from my good friend, Khyra.  It's super healthy and I love all the different flavors and textures in it. 

2 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 17 oz. bag frozen corn
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. lime juice, add more if desired
1 T. red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste, I like to use at least 1 t. of salt

Mix all ingredients.  Cover and chill overnight if possible.  Taste and add more salt and pepper and/or lime juice if needed.  Serve with tortilla chips or in a tortilla with grilled chicken.

Chicken Taquitos

These are really yummy; we have made them several times since I got the Our Best Bites cookbook.

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Serve plain or dip in sour cream or guacamole.

These freeze really well.  Skip the step of toasting them in the oven.  Freeze them, when you're ready to eat them, toast them for an additional 8-10 minutes.

Recipe adapted from: www.ourbestbites.com

4th of July Fruit Kebabs

22 skewers (plus more for leftover fruit)
Blueberries
Strawberries
Cheesecake (I made this recipe without the peach topping. Bake in a 9x13 pan.)
Bake cheesecake in 9x13 pan. I turned the oven off a couple minutes early to adjust for the shallow pan. Chill, preferably overnight. Cut cheesecake into cubes--about 1 inch. Assemble by following design on picture. Be careful when adding the cheesecake as it will crumble. Place in freezer for half hour or until ready to serve. Makes about 2 flags.

hot corn dip

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This is a really yummy appetizer. I've shared it with quite a few people and they all love it!


11 oz. can Mexican corn, drained

4.5 ox can chopped green chilies

1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)

½ c. Parmesan cheese

½ c. mayonnaise

Corn chips, for dipping

Heat oven to 350. Grease a small casserole dish.

Mix corn, chilies, cheeses, and mayo until fully combined and spread into dish. Cook, uncovered for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges.

Recipe: Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

Mexican hamburgers

1 lb ground turkey

1 packet taco seasoning

Avocado

Tomato

Cheddar cheese

Buns

Mix turkey and taco seasoning and for four patties; grill. Stack each one on a bun with a slice of avocado, tomato, and cheese. Enjoy!

• These are really fun as sliders, mini hamburgers that you put on homemade rolls. Just stick each one with a toothpick to make sure all the toppings stay put.

TOFFEE FRUIT DIP

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1-8 ounce softened cream cheese
1 (10 ounce) bag heath toffee pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup white sugar

Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer, adding toffee bits last. Chill. Serve with fruit.

For Halloween, Steph carved out a pumpkin and put the dip in there; it was so cute!

Wonderful Won Tons

Press the won ton wrappers into a mini muffin tin pan like so... Yummy!

I got this wonderful recipe from my aunt Janell, she's such a great cook, I love everything she makes. These are a really fun appetizers, and a winner with everyone!

2 c cooked, crumbled sausage
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (homemade Ranch makes them even better)
1 package fresh won ton wrappers (square or round, round are easier to work with)
1/2 c. diced red or green pepper
1 can sliced olives
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a mini muffin tin and press wrapper in each cup. Bake 5 min. until golden brown. Remove from tins and place on baking sheet. Cook sausage and blot dry, or put in a collander and quickly run hot water over it, to remove grease. Combine all other ingredients. Fill baked won tons with sausage mixture. Bake 5 more minutes. Makes 4 to 5 dozen appetizers. Enjoy!

Winger's Amazing Sauce & Creamy Amazing Sauce!!!

The secret recipe has been discovered!
Yes, my mother-in-law figured out the recipe for the wonderful, tasty, scrumptious Winger's Amazing Sauce. It's so fast and so good!

Amazing Sauce
1 c. Frank's Hot Sauce
3 c. brown sugar
Yes, that's it! Cook on the stove until the brown sugar dissolves, and there ya have it!

Creamy Amazing
3 parts Ranch Dressing to 1 part Amazing Sauce. Just make however much you think you'll eat.
So for example: 1/2 c. Amazing Sauce and 1 1/2 Ranch Dressing. This is also extra good with homemade Ranch.

I hope you all enjoy this as much as we have been! Thanks, Debie!

SWISS CHEESE FONDUE

12 oz. Swiss cheese (or cheddar, Gruyere or a combination)
4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp. butter
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups milk
Juice from a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Dippers, such as French bread, carrots, peppers, broccoli or cherry tomatoes

First, grate the cheese into a bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour, paprika and nutmeg. Peel the garlic clove. Next, rub the cut clove on the inside of a medium-size saucepan until the bottom and sides are completely seasoned. Melt the butter in the pan over medium-low heat and stir in the flour mixture until it is smooth. Add the milk, 1 cup at a time, and stir constantly until the creamy sauce is warm. Next, add the grated cheese by the handful, stirring well after each addition. Continue until the cheese is used up and the sauce is thoroughly combined. Once the cheese has melted, stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, prepare the dippers for the fondue. Cut the bread into cubes. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces and steam for a few minutes, if desired, to bring out the flavor. Arrange the vegetables on a large platter and the bread cubes in a basket or bowl. Pour the fondue into a fondue pot. Spear the bread or vegetables on fondue forks, then dip into the cheesy sauce. Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a main course.

PORK AND SEEDS

Pork Loin cut in large pieces
Fat side up

½ c. sugar
½ c. soy sauce
2 T. catsup
dash MSG
dash ginger
dash salt

Marinate pork at least overnight and up to 2 days (2 days is best). Bake 350 1 hour. Dip in hot mustard and sesame seeds.

MANGO SALSA

½ medium onion, chopped
2 T olive oil or butter
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 fresh red pepper, chopped
2 T coarsely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
1 T minced green onion

Sauté onion in olive oil or butter until lightly browned. Toss all ingredients together gently. Serve with tortilla chips, on carne asadas, on salads, etc. ***Fantastic on shrimp tacos***

Katelyn's FRESH SALSA

Chop:
1 green pepper
1 bundle cilantro
13 Roma tomatoes

Squeeze over the top:
1 lemon
2 limes

Blend together
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 T. minced garlic
1 white onion
3 T. jalapeno

Mix together and add:
1 ½ T. salt
1 t. pepper

Lasts for 2 ½ weeks in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

1 cube butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package chocolate chips

Combine ingredients in fondue pot. Heat until melted and mixed. Fondue!

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHEESECAKE BALL

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. confectioners. sugar
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c. finely chopped pecans (optional)

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter till smooth. mix in confectioners. sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips cover & chill for 2 hours. Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into ball. Wrap with plastic & chill for 1 hour. roll the cheese ball in pecans, if desired, before serving.

ANN'S ARTICHOKE DIP

1 c mayonnaise
1 c Parmesan cheese
1 can green chilies (diced)
1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts (drained)

Mix together. Break up artichoke hearts. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 20-25 minutes.