Creamy Avocado Lime Cilantro Chilled Pasta Salad

I made this and it was so delicious, it has cilantro in it, but if you don't like cilantro you can use very little or leave it out, so very good! :) I would make this again and again and bring it to places I had to bring a dish to pass, I used greek yogurt instead of mayo so it was much lighter!

 while pasta is cooked, drained and cooling, mix all remaining ingredients in food processer

 add into pasta and serve!!

Creamy Avocado Lime Cilantro Chilled Pasta Salad
that name is a tongue twister!
 Ingredients

• 1 1/2cup dry shell pasta or short pasta of your choice
• 1 ripe avocado
• handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2Tbsp lime juice
• 3Tbsp mayonnaise (I used plain greek yogurt)
• 1tsp garlic paste
• salt & pepper
• chopped cilantro and/or jalapeno for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain well, set aside to cool.
2. Peel avocado and remove the pit. Put it in a food processor together with chopped cilantro, lime juice, mayonnaise and garlic paste. Blend it until it’s creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in a refrigerator if you have time.)
3. Transfer the avocado sauce to a medium sized bowl. Add cooked pasta and toss them well. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and/or jalapeno on top.

7-Layer Bean Dips!

These were a huge hit for Daniels 30th Birthday Party!

 Lay your cups out..

 layer them (I doubled the recipe to make more than 8 for the party) I did some fully loaded, some half loaded and some with just beans, guac, cheese!

Pinned these from The Girl Who Ate Everything


Individual Seven-Layer Dips

Makes about 8 individual dips

*Note: All measurements are approximate. Depending on whether you want thicker or thinner layers you will need more or less. ( I doubled this recipe)
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning (I would use 2 of these 1 for beans and 1 for sour cream)

1 cup guacamole or make homemade guacamole

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

1 cup chunky salsa or pico de gallo; or make homemade pico de gallo

1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 (2.25 ounce) can of sliced olives, drained

9 ounce plastic tumblers

tortilla chips

Directions:

In a small bowl mix taco seasoning with refried beans. I didn't mix the taco seasoning in the sour cream this time, but next time I would mix another packet of taco seasoning with the sour cream, I think it would add a little more something! 

Here's how the layers are assembled:

Layer 1: beans and taco seasoning

Layer 2: guacamole

Layer 3: sour cream

Layer 4: salsa or pico de gallo

Layer 5: cheese

Layer 6: tomatoes

Layer 7: green onions and olives

In each plastic glass, layer about 2 Tablespoons of the beans, followed by 2 Tablespoons of guacamole, 2 Tablespoons of sour cream, 2 Tablespoons of salsa or pico de gallo, and 2 Tablespoons of cheese. Make sure you drain your salsa or pico to get the excess liquid out before you pour it on. Then top with about 1-2 teaspoons of tomatoes, olives, and green onion (If making ahead of time, wait to add these toppings until shortly before serving).

Garnish with one tortilla chip. Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips. Makes around 8 individual dips.

Stuffed Mushrooms

 twist and pop off the stems to the mushrooms: set aside bc you will need them ..

 brown up the sausage....set aside to cool

 cut up the onion and garlic .. I used an onion chopper to get fine pieces..

 saute them....

 chop up stems... saute them...

 add all together and splash with wine...

 set aside to cool...

 separate egg yolk and add to cream cheese...

 add in parm cheese and the sausage and the rest of the onion mixture...

 Salt all the mushrooms first... then Stuff the mushrooms....

Stuffed Mushrooms: The Pioneer Woman's Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 24 ounces, weight White Button Mushrooms
• ⅓ pounds Hot Pork Sausage
• ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• ⅓ cups Dry White Wine
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1 whole Egg Yolk
• ¾ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Wipe off or wash mushrooms in cold water. Pop out stems, reserving both parts.

Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside.

Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.

Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.

Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.

Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.

In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.

Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.

Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Buffalo Chicken Dip (aka Crack Dip)

This recipe was all over the internet and I think my friend April sent me either this one or something similar... anyways, I made it and LOVED it.  

Buffalo Chicken Dip (AKA: Crack Dip)
-as seen on The Bitten Word, who adapted it from Frank’s Red Hot

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup buffalo sauce or buffalo style barbecue sauce (I used Franks Wing Sauce)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (shredded mozzarella cheese can be substituted)
2 cans chicken breast 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep baking dish, mix cream cheese, salad dress, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Stir until combined. Stir in chicken.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the dish is heated through.  Serve with crackers, pita chips, sliced bread or vegetables.

NOTE:  Depending on your tastes and the ingredients on hand, you can use 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese salad rather than 1/4 cup of each.  Similarly, you can mix blue cheese and mozzarella, or use portions of each.

*celery for dipping…mmm, MMMM!

Caramel Toffee Apple Dip & Cinnamon Chips

Caramel Fruit Dip

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese)

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla (you can add more to taste)

Toffee bits (look by the chocolate chips and try and find the chocolate covered ones if you can! Your dip won't be pretty, but it will sure taste good!)

 

This recipe I found on several blogs, the internet and my mom's family cookbook, plus

 I believe Daniels Aunt has a similar recipe!  It's very good and always gets eaten up!

spread the butter...

put on the cinnamon and sugar..

Cut into triangles and bake...

Serve with Apple dip... tastes great!

Baked Cinnamon Chips

Flour Tortillas (I like the little 6" ones)
Melted Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat oven to 350.
Place them on an ungreased baking sheet (sugar side up, incase you are visually impared and can't tell by the picture) and bake them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You'll see them crisp up. Watch for the edges to turn up.

Easy Cheesy Bread Sticks

Easy Bread Sticks... Yum, We made these at my cooking party!  They turned out delicious!

Before they were cooked...

After and ready to serve

Easy Cheesy Bread Sticks

 

1 tube Grands biscuits (Flaky Layers work best)

6 pieces of string cheese

1 cup Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

1-2 cups powdery Parmesan cheese

Marinara

*

Remove the biscuits from the tube, then split them in half to make 12. Cut each string cheese in half. Place the string cheese in the center of the biscuit. Then fold the dough up and over the string cheese, enclosing the cheese in the dough. Roll in the Italian dressing, then roll in Parmesan cheese. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately with warm marinara sauce.

Oven Fried Onion Rings

Only the best thing ever....crumbs made with potato chips and saltines! yum...

after being dipped in flour, dip in batter mixture...

Dip in potato chip/saltine mixture.....

Oven-Fried Onion Rings

Yield: About 24 rings, serving 4 to 6

Prep Time: 45 minutes | Bake Time: 23 minutes

½ cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ ground black pepper
30 saltine crackers
4 cups kettle-cooked potato chips
2 large yellow onions, cut into 24 rings (see note)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees F. Place ¼ cup flour in shallow baking dish. Beat egg and buttermilk together in bowl. Whisk remaining ¼ cup flour, cayenne, salt and pepper into buttermilk mixture. Pulse saltines and potato chips together in food processor until finely ground; 8 to 10 pulses.


Oven-Fried Onion Rings: Dredging station

2. Working one at a time, dredge each onion ring in flour, shaking off excess. Dip rings in buttermilk mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, then drop into crumb coating, turning rings to coat evenly.


Transfer coated rings to large plate or tray.


3. Pour 3 tablespoons oil onto each of two rimmed baking sheets. Place baking sheets in oven and heat until just smoking, about 8 minutes. Carefully tilt heated sheets to coat evenly with oil, then arrange onion rings on sheets. Baking, flipping onion rings and switching and rotating position of baking sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Briefly drain onion rings on paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

* Note 1: Slice the onions into ½-inch-thick rounds, separate the rings, and discard any rings smaller than 2 inches in diameter. It will depend on the size of your onions, but both of mine ended up being sliced into 4 to get the ½-inch-thick rounds.


* Note 2: The onion rings can be breaded in advance and refrigerated for up to an hour. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking them; if baked while still chilled from the refrigerator, the onions will not cook enough to soften and will remain crunchy.

(Recipe adapted from Summer Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated)

Onion Rings Dipping Sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes

½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 tablespoons horseradish
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Dash ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate.

Fruit Dip and Fruit Skewers

Fruit Dip

1 7oz jar of Marshmallow Fluff
1 block of cream cheese softened
1 tbsp of Vanilla

Blend ingredients together and serve with fruit.  I made fruit skewers to go along with it for a BBQ because I thought it'd be fun!

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

Cut in half and take all the seeds and ribbing out of the jalapenos, Soak the jalenpenos in water to make them softer...for about an hour.

All the ingredients...

Stuff jalapenos with cream cheese and sprinkle paprika on them...

Wrap the jalapenos in bacon...and sprinkle Tony Cheseres on it (Cajun seasoning)

Then prepare the sauce to dip them in right before you put them on the grill.

1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce -I used Sweet Baby Rays and 1/2 cup of honey.  Coat the wrapped jalapenos in this sauce prior to laying on the grill.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos
16 Jalapenos, cut in half and seeded
2 blocks of cream cheese, softened (16 oz total)
32 pieces of thick cut bacon
paprika
Cajun seasoning
 Sauce:
1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce
1/2 cup of Honey

Cut and de-seed and rib the jalapenos, soak them in a bowl of water for 1 hour, to soften them.  Stuff them with cream cheese and then sprinkle paprika on them.  Wrap each piece in bacon and you can secure it with toothpicks if you'd like.  Mix sauce together and dip each piece in sauce before laying on grill.

To Grill:  Lay a piece of foil down, I used two, layered, spray with pam oil spray and lay jalapenos on top until bacon is cooked. 

Serve!


My Take:
I made these for a family BBQ this past weekend and my brother in law ate so many his mouth was on fire! His wife told me to make a double batch for him and I did!!! Great appetizer! Sorry the camera stinks in these photos, the battery was dead on my good camera!

This recipe is from my friends husband... We'll call him Manny! Thanks for the recipe~

Cheesy Chicken Dip

Cheesy Chicken Dip

1 8 oz. package cream cheese
1 1/2 c. salsa, divided
1 or 2 cups shredded chicken breast
1 or 2 cups Mexican blend cheese (cheddar and jack)

Soften cream cheese and blend with 1/2 cup of the salsa. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or small square casserole dish. Spread remaining 1 cup salsa over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Spread chicken all over the top and then the cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for about 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips, Frito's Scoops or any type of corn chip.




Had a girls night out party and made this, it took me zero seconds to put together.. I know, amazing right? Nah, about 5 minutes prep time once the chicken is cooked and shredded. Tasted delicious, will make again! Also you could add refried beans if you like them, I didn't because my friend doesn't like them. But if you do, they'd be good... or black beans... oh yeah!