Showing posts with label PARTY SNACKS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PARTY SNACKS. Show all posts

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CHICKEN BROCCOLI MUSHROOM BRAID

Wednesday, August 1, 2012 by Admin


CHICKEN BROCCOLI MUSHROOM BRAID - This recipe is great for a buffet table or something like a baby shower because it can be sliced into small sections...it tastes good even after it's cooled to room temperature and the braided effect of the dough looks pretty.

2 cups cooked chicken shredded (deli rotisserie chicken works well too)
½ cup red bell pepper diced finely
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
¼ cup onion diced
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1 glove garlic (crushed)
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp. salt
(2) 8 oz. refrigerator crescent rolls (** see note)
1 egg white beaten
Sauté veggies and garlic just until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the rolls) mix well and set aside. THIS NEXT PART SOUNDS COMPLICATED BUT IT IS NOT!!
Unroll ONE TUBE of crescent roll dough and pinch triangle seams together to make one big triangle (roll dough with roller to flatten and thin it a little). PLACE DOUGH ON BAKING SHEET BEFORE YOU TOP DOUGH WITH FILLING. Spoon HALF of the filling down the center of the dough. Lightly salt and pepper filling. On both sides of the filling, cut the dough in 1” strips (but don’t come too close to the filling. Pull the strips over the filling in a criss-cross fashion, pinching together where necessary. Brush dough top with egg white. Bake in preheated oven for 25-28 minutes or until golden brown, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Slice & serve. REPEAT WITH SECOND TUBE OF CRESCENT DOUGH.

*NOTE: When I make this for a larger group, I double the filling and (instead of the crescent roll dough) I use bead dough. Personally, I like the crescent roll variation better (because I like less bread), however the photo I've used here was done with bread dough.

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EASY BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAM TOPPING

Wednesday, June 13, 2012 by Admin

It is finally grilling season in Alaska and that means food, friends and family. Our crowd loves ice cream and I've been playing around with a variety of ice cream toppings. This quick and easy one is a big favorite right now, but I'm working on a pineapple topping as well.


EASY BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAM TOPPING
¼ cup butter
1¼ cups light brown sugar (packed)
16 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 cup of evaporated (canned) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon rum extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, marshmallows, corn syrup and salt.

Stirring constantly, keep your heat very low until everything is melted and smooth then raise the heat to a medium low setting. Bring to a gentle boil (keep stirring) and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and extracts, mix until everything is very smooth.


Store in fridge (keeps for a couple weeks if it lasts that long). Tastes great cold or warm.

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NO-BAKE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Tuesday, May 12, 2009 by Admin

In a late night surfing episode, I found a recipe called éclair cake. It was not really a cake, but a combination of ready made ingredients that…together made an ooey gooey dessert that looked heavenly. I didn’t even write down the ingredients, I just sort of filed the idea away. Well, last weekend, I gave my version of it a try and it was, indeed, heavenly! It is three layers of graham crackers separated by two layers of vanilla pudding and topped with a fudge-y frosting. It is one of those recipes that tastes so much better on the second day, so if you plan on making this…keep that in mind and make it a day ahead. If you refrigerate it overnight, the graham crackers absorb a little moisture from the pudding and become “cake like”. This was so good that I made it for my own birthday!


(2) 3½ ounce instant French vanilla pudding
(1) pound of honey graham crackers
8 ounce Cool Whip thawed
3 cups of milk
6 tablespoons butter (melted)
6 tablespoons boiling water
6 tablespoons baking cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place a single layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 dish (breaking to fit if necessary). In a large bowl, whisk the instant pudding with 3 cups milk until well mixed, then fold in the Cool Whip. Immediately pour half of this mixture over the graham crackers (spreading evenly). Put another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding and then another layer of pudding mixture. Top second layer of pudding with a final layer of graham crackers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour before you frost (to make it easier).

After an hour of chilling, mix melted butter, boiling water, cocoa and vanilla until well blended. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Immediately pour over chilled pudding dessert. Place dessert (uncovered) in fridge for an hour or so (until the frosting feels dry to the touch). When frosting is set (feels dry to the touch), stretch plastic wrap (tightly) over the pan so that it doesn’t touch the frosting. Refrigerate overnight.

NOTE: I use a glass 9x13 pan so that the plastic grips tightly and doesn’t sag down onto the frosting. Not necessary, but it looks prettier if the plastic doesn’t touch the frosting. A Tupperware 9x13 with snap-on lid works great too.
NOTE: I apologize to the blogger who originally posted this recipe. I tried to retrace my steps to find the submitter, however, my blog surfing obviously took me to pages I don’t recall. If this was your recipe, I apologize for not crediting you.
NOTE: The fudge-y frosting was not part of theoriginal recipe…that part of the recipe was my addition.

GIVE AWAY: The people at Stonyfield Farms sent me a bunch of coupons for free Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. I would like to forward these to someone who would like to try this product. If you are interested in these coupons, just leave me a comment telling me why. I'll post the winners name Wednesday morning.

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CHICKEN FINGERS

Saturday, May 9, 2009 by Admin

Chicken Fingers are an excellent appetizer for parties (for all age groups). It is also a quick “go to” meal for a weeknight dinner. Simple and delicious, what more can you ask for? If you have any leftovers, this chicken (chopped up) makes a fantastic chicken & grilled cheese sandwich on day two.
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 cup of buttermilk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon onion powder

Combine the buttermilk, beaten egg and garlic powder and pour it into a large Ziploc bag. Cut the chicken breast into long half inch wide strips and put them in the same Ziploc bag. Refrigerate this until you are ready to cook (or at least 2 hours). In another large Ziploc bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper and onion powder.

When it is time to cook, follow these steps:
1. Drain chicken (saving liquid) and coat chicken in flour mixture.
2. Shake off excess flour mixture and put BACK INTO liquid again.
3. Repeat step one, then THROW AWAY BUTTERMILK LIQUID
Fry chicken fingers in ½” vegetable oil until golden. Keep warm in oven.
photo

BARBEQUE DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup white vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped onion (sautéed)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon powdered mustard
Combine and simmer slowly for about 10 minutes.

We like barbeque flavored Chicken Fingers. To do that, I simply put one half cup of barbeque into a large frying pan, let it heat up. Then I put the cooked chicken fingers in the sauce and toss lightly.

NOTE: Personally, we like this recipe best with boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they are so moist. This is also excellent with chicken tenderloin pieces.

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LIGHT AS AIR PINWHEELS

Friday, May 1, 2009 by Admin

I found this fabulous recipe for Phyllo Pinwheels on a blog called Cindy’s Place. It is very quick and easy and yet so impressive to look at. They are deliciously light as air and would look fantastic on a baby shower or wedding shower table.
1 package of Pepperidge Farm phyllo dough (freezer section)
1 egg
maraschino cherries

Thaw both sheets of phyllo dough for 40 minutes or until soft enough to handle. Work with one sheet at a time. Unfold the phyllo dough and press out any fold marks. Cut the phyllo dough into 3 full length rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 3 squares each (total 9 per sheet).

For each square, cut (starting in the corners) ¾ of the way to the center (see diagram). Lift a cut corner and secure it in the center (using a micro-dot of water if necessary).Repeat for other corners like this:

Place pinwheels on parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush them with egg wash (1 egg beaten with a little water). Set half of a maraschino cherry in the center. Bake in preheated oven (350°) for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove to cooling rack. Bring 1 cup of powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons of water + 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract + ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to a boil and remove from heat. Brush the cooked pinwheels with this glaze. The glaze will dry to the touch after a little while. These are SO tasty!

NOTE: Cindy's web page is in Portuguese, however, she has been more than helpful in interpreting recipes. I hope you go visit her.

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NO-BAKE CANDY CAKE

Thursday, April 30, 2009 by Admin



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I found this idea on a web site a couple of years ago (long before I was aware of the blogging world). It is a fun (and easy) project which can be tailored to any age, holiday or special occasion. Need a gift for someone at work or school? Make them a small version. Make a huge version for a table centerpiece at a teenager’s birthday party. The possibilities are endless.

The “candy cake” pictured was made with a 9” cardboard circle for a base (I used a Wilton cake circle I had). Since the candy you are going to fill this with is heavy, the base cardboard needs to be pretty rigid, so…if in doubt, double-up your cardboard. If you double up your cardboard, wrap it in foil to disguise it.

Next, I hot glued two (flat) 8” Styrofoam wreath circles on top of each other, wrapped them in wide ribbon and glued them to the cardboard circle base. Now you should have a flat base with a ribbon wrapped “lip” around the outer edge of the base.

Next, attach mini-candy bars or mini-boxes of candy to the outside of the “lip” by placing a SINGLE small dot of hot glue on the back of the candy wrapper (use my photo as a guide). Now fill the hollow area inside of the Styrofoam wreaths with loose, wrapped candies.

Next, think about decorating the flat top of the Styrofoam “lip”. You can either glue more candy to it, or push lollipops, blow pops, or any candy on a stick, into the Styrofoam so it will add height.

NOTE: Plan ahead and make sure all of your candy bars are facing in the same direction. Keep your design or color theme in mind when you are choosing candy bars.

NOTE: If you are using hot glue on chocolate bars, remember just one little dot will suffice and if you are concerned about it, freeze them first.

NOTE: Do not use any unwrapped candy.
NOTE: If giving as a gift, this looks especially festive if you wrap it in clear cellophane and decorate it with lots of curly ribbons.

 The hardest part of this project is not snacking on the candy while you are constructing it.

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BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP

Friday, April 10, 2009 by Admin


Your guests will never guess how simple these shrimp are to make and YOU will be amazed how quickly they disappear; they are an absolutely delicious hors d’oeuvre.

(1) 16 ounce bag of frozen 16-20 count RAW shrimp (see note)
1 pound of smoked bacon (not the thick kind)
1 cup of your favorite barbeque sauce

In our Fred Meyer store, these shrimp are sold frozen (near the meat case). The one pound package says they are 16-20 count “Wild Caught” with shell on and heads off. Let them thaw in your fridge overnight. The next day, remove the shell (leave tails on). With a small sharp knife, make a shallow cut down the back of the shrimp and rinse out any “vein” you see there. Drain the shrimp on a paper towel and sit in fridge for a few minutes while you prepare the bacon.
If you use the 16-20 count shrimp (16 to 20 shrimp per pound), it will take a whole slice of bacon per shrimp. Make sure you use regular cut bacon (not thick sliced). Partially cook it, to remove some of the fat, but don’t let it get crispy (drain on paper towels). It should look like this:
Wrap the partially cooked bacon around the raw shrimp. Starting at the wide end of the shrimp, attach the bacon to the shrimp with a toothpick. Wind the bacon around (in a single thickness) and all the way down to the tail and secure it with another toothpick like this:
Baste the shrimp on both sides with your favorite barbeque sauce (I recommend Sweet Baby Ray’s barbeque sauce). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Line a large baking sheet with foil (to help with cleanup) and put a baking rack on the foil (spray the rack with cooking spray). Place the shrimp on the rack and bake in a PREHEATED 450° oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, TURN OFF THE OVEN (do not open the door) and let the shrimp sit in the hot oven for another five minutes. Remove the toothpicks and enjoy!

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BISCUIT FLAT BREAD

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 by Admin

Do you ever need a quick side dish or a “go with” for that crockpot dinner? This “instant biscuit" type flat bread is quick, flavorful and something just a little different.

10 ounce tube of refrigerator (flaky) biscuits
½ cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (packed fairly tight)
¼ (level) teaspoon of dry basil leaves
¼ (level) teaspoon of dry oregano leaves
3 tablespoons of thinly slivered green onion tops
1 clove of garlic (minced)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix everything together well (except the biscuits) and set aside.
Separate refrigerator biscuits and roll each one out into a circle approximately 4” across. Using your fingers, press on the center of the biscuit’s a little more, leaving the outer edge just a little bit thicker than the center (like a pizza). Divide cheese mixture evenly between the biscuits and spread it around (staying back from the edge).Bake on UNgreased cookie sheet, at 350° for about 15 minutes or until golden.
NOTE: Change the kind of herbs if there is something you like better.
NOTE: I usually cook them for about 14½ minutes then turn the broiler on for about 30 seconds to give them just a little extra color (but watch them carefully).
NOTE: Don’t flour your counter before rolling out these biscuits.

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CARAMEL CORN

Sunday, March 15, 2009 by Admin

I have tried multiple caramel corn recipes over the years and this is, by far, the best and easiest. It is great to serve at kids parties and a pretty jar of homemade caramel corn makes a quick office gift or baby shower game prize.

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts or almonds (opt.)
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put popped corn into two (shallow) pans (sprayed with cooking spray), add peanuts and set aside. Preheat oven to 250°. Combine brown sugar, syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla (it will be foamy). Immediately pour over popcorn. Stir to coat but don’t worry about getting EVERY little bit covered at this point. Total baking time is 1 hour, but you have to remove pans from oven every 15 minutes and stir to coat.

After 1 hour, line your counter with waxed paper and dump the caramel corn out. Separate into pieces. Allow to cool completely. Store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags.

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