Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

We entertain.  A lot.  We love to have people over and just enjoy life.  As a result, I have quite a collection of quick, easy and delicious appetizer/snack recipes.  These stuffed mushrooms are a favorite, even for people who don't like mushrooms. 

I like to serve these anytime I need a quick yummy appetizer.  You can make the filling a few days ahead and refrigerate or you can make the entire recipe earlier in the day and refrigerate until time to bake. 

I orginally found this in a cookbook put together Seaside Beach Community.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

2 packages baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened slightly

1 pound sausage, cooked and drained.

Parmesan Cheese

Combine cream cheese and cooked sausage.  Stuff mushrooms with sausage mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 350* for 15 minutes. 

Best served immediately.  

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31 Days of Fall - Day 17 Tailgate Recipes

Fall Saturdays in the South mean lots and lots of football.  It also means plate after plate of great food.  For some tailgating is quite a production.

For us, it usually takes place on our back porch with lots of friends flipping from game to game to game.  No matter where you tailgate, food extremely important.  Here are some of our favorite tailgate recipes.

Olive Cheese Bread

Marinated Cheese and Olives

Hot Corn Dip

To start from the beginning - 31 Days of Fall.

Olive Cheese Bread

This is a crowd favorite!  I have served it at Book Club, Supper Club, at our many back porch parties and often, just for myself.  It is always a hit.  Originally this was a Pioneer Woman recipe, but I have adapted it to suit our tastes. 

Atlanta Style Olive Cheese Bread 

10 oz black olives, whole and drained

5 oz. green olives with pimento, whole and drained

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup mayonaisse

2 c shredded pepper jack cheese

1 loaf French bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roughly chop olives.

In a large bowl add olives, butter, mayo and pepper jack cheese.  Stir til combined. 

Slice French bread in half lengthwise.  Spread olive mixture evenly on both halves.

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and ooey gooey, about 15 - 20 minutes. 

Remove from oven and let sit about 5 minutes. 

Cut into serving size slices and serve. 

**Don't use anything but butter as it will turn into a greasy, sloppy mess. 

** Low Fat Mayo works great.

 

Linking to Life As Mom's Ultimate Recipe Swap

Cajun Spiced Nuts

I posted about these delicious cajun spiced nuts on another blog and received some requests to post the recipe.  I can't believe I haven't posted this yet!  These nuts get rave reviews everytime I serve them.  They are perfect by themselves as a snack, but pair them with some romaine lettuce, pepper jack cheese and a light vinaigrette and your guest will beg to take some home. 

Cajun Spiced Nuts

1 pound pecan halves

1/4 c melted butter

1 T chili powder

1 t salt

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

1 t thyme

1/2 t onion powder

1/4 t garlic powder

1/4 t ground cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes.  Turn to LOW and continue to cook, UNCOVERED, stirring occasionally for 2 hours.  Transfer nuts to a baking sheet and cool completely. 

These keep well for about a month, if they last that long.

*** I have had this recipe for years, but do not know where it orginated, so can't give credit.

Cheddar Cheese Ring with Pepper Jelly

I love a good cheese appetizer, ya know everything is better with cheese.  One of my favorites is a traditional Southern Cheese Ring.  The traditional version marries a cheddar cheese and pecan mixture with Strawberry Preserves.  It really is the most interesting flavor combination and quite refreshing during the summer time, especially with homemade preserves.  By the way, this is a favorite of native Georgian, President Jimmy Carter. 

For New Year's Eve, I really wanted to make a Cheese Ring for one of our appetizer selections, but I only had ONE jar of my homemade strawberry preserves left and June is a LONG way off.  I really didn't want to share my VERY LAST jar, so I went looking for alternatives.  I saw many references to using pepper jelly in place of strawberry preserves.  Since I had an abundance of homemade pepper jelly in my pantry, I decided to give it a try.   This simple substitution took a somewhat summery, sweet appetizer and morphed it into a spicy, cool weather treat that was a hit at our New Year's Eve party.  I will certainly be making this one again and I might just add a touch of cayenne pepper to the cheese mixture to up the heat just a bit.

Pepper Jelly Cheese Ring

16 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c mayonaisse

4 green onions, chopped

1 c chopped pecans

1/2 t garlic powder

1 c pepper jelly

Club Crackers

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl using you hands or a hand mixer.  Mold mixture into a ring on serving platter.  Cover and chill 2 - 3 hours.  Before serving, fill center of ring with pepper jelly.  Serve with Club crackers. 

I've already made a note to make at least one extra batch of Pepper Jelly this summer to make sure I have enough to make this recipe a few times during the year. 

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Marinated Cheese and Olives

Serve this appetizer at your holiday party and I guarantee there won't be any left.   It is one of my most requested recipes.  And as an added bonus, it is really quick and simple to pull together.  Since this will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator, if I know I have several events coming up, I make a double or triple batch. 

Marinated Cheese and Olives

3/4 c vegetabel oil
1/4 c white wine vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 - 1 t freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 - 8 oz. package Colby Jack cheese, cubed
1 - 8 oz. package Monterrey Jack or white cheddar cheese, cubed
1 - 7 oz. kalamata olives, drained
1/2 T dried Italian Seasoning
1/4 t crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 springs fresh rosemary

Combine first 5 ingredients in a jar.  Cover tightly and shake vigorously.
Combine all ingredients except rosemary in a large bowl; stir gently.  Add rosemary sprigs.  Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.  Serve with assorted crackers. 

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Hot Corn Dip

This is my go-to appetizer recipe.  I like it because it is easy, made from items I always have in my pantry and everyone loves it.  It always makes an appearance for the Super Bowl and I am constantly asked for the recipe.  It is best served with Fritos Scoops.  Enjoy!

1 15 oz. can yellow corn, drained
1 15 oz. can white corn, drained
1 10 oz. can Rotel with cilantro and lime
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).



In a medium baking dish, mix white corn, yellow corn, Rotel, cream cheese, chili powder, garlic powder and cumin.


Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until hot bubbly.  Serve with Fritos Scoops.

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How to Eat at Home on the Go - Week 8 - Appetizers

Welcome to Week 8 of How to Eat At Home on the Go, a series where I offer my tips, tricks and recipes to eat at home, even when your family is on the go for sports, church, school, work or anything else that may come up. You can check out the rest of the series here - Week 1, Week 2 , Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, and Week 6 and Week 7.


We love to eat appetizers for dinner at our house.  This fits perfectly with trying to eat at home on the go.  Just fix one of these 3 quick and easy dips, serve with chips or crackers, add sliced fresh veggies and a fruit bowl and you have a great quick meal.  Each of these recipes can be prepared earlier in the day and popped in the oven 15 - 20 minutes before eating.  Enjoy!

Football Dip
This is a family favorite we have every time we watch college football.  So easy and very quick!

1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 can Hormel chili with beans
2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350*.
Soften cream cheese (30 seconds in the microwave - take out of foil packaging first!).  Spread in the bottom of an oven safe dish. 
Top with chili (Homemade chili or the canned variety of your choice works well. This is just what we like.).
Top with cheese (use the cheese of your choice - colby jack is great)
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. 
Best served with Fritos Scoops.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c Franks Chicken Wing Sauce
1 c Ranch dressing
1/2 c chopped celery (I leave this out all the time)
1 can chicken, drained (I use a large one, my sister uses a small one, you decide)
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Super Quick - dump everything in a saucepot, heat over medium heat on stove, stirring constantly until all ingredients are incorporated and heated.  Serve with Fritos Scoops.

Quick - Soften cream cheese.  Dump everything in a bowl, mix until incorporated.  Pour into an oven safe dish and bake at 340* for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.  Serve with Fritos Scoops.

Not So Quick - Dump everything thing in a crockpot.  Stir to incorporate.  Heat on LOW for 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally to mix.  Serve with Fritos Scoops. 

Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 (14 oz) can artichoke heart quarters, drained and chopped
1 (5.5 oz) container garlic and herb spreadable cream cheese( I like Aloeutte)
1 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1/2 c mayonaisse
1 (2 oz) jar chopped pimentos, drained
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (I use precooked bacon pieces)

Stir together spinach and next 6 ingredients.  Spoon into a lightly greased baking dish.  Bake at 400* for 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with bacon.  Serve with crackers or chips. 

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Tomato Sandwiches

If there is one recipe that means summer to me, this is it.  These are best with fresh tomatoes warm from the garden, but if your only option is one from the grocery store, these sandwiches will still be wonderful.  Just make sure you eat them outside to truly enjoy the experience. 

picture from www.foodnetwork.com

Tomato Sandwiches

4 slices whole wheat bread

4 sliced white bread

1 onion, grated

1 c mayonnaise

black pepper

2 tomatoes, sliced

seasoned salt

basil, chopped

Directions

Begin by cutting the bread into circles with a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. Combine the grated onion, mayonnaise, and black pepper. Spread mixture onto the cut out bread circles. Cover and refrigerate.

To prepare the tomatoes, peel, slice, and drain thoroughly between layers of paper towels. Sprinkle the tomatoes with seasoning salt before assembling the sandwiches. Place a tomato slice on top of the whole wheat bread. Top with basil. Place the white bread on top of each stack. Prepare the sandwiches several hours before the party. Cover with a damp towel and refrigerate until ready to serve.

*** I use regular salt, not seasoning salt.

Layered Italian Spread

I made this to take to my Book Club meeting last night. It is an old favorite I had not made in a while. Those ladies just about licked the plate clean so I thought I would share it with you. I did not get a chance to take a picture, below is the picture from the Kraft Foods website where I originally found the recipe.
Layered Italian Spread

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c Paremesan cheese

1/2 c pesto (homemade is best, but the Classico brand is good, just drain some of the oil)

1/2 c roasted red pepper, chopped

1 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Spread cream cheese in bottom of a pie plate or other rimmed baking dish.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with pesto.

Sprinkle roasted red peppers over pesto and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes or until bubbly and the mozzarella is melted.

Serve with assorted crackers and wait for the compliments and requests for the recipe.