More Dip Recipes

Here are some more dip recipes. A must have for any Super Bowl Party. Dips for a party are easier if you choose a recipe that can be prepared ahead of time. Even the hot dips can be prepared before, brought to room temperature, and then heated or baked. I really like to have at least one hot dip or spread.

This is an old recipe from my mother-in-law that she picked up in Cody, Wyoming.

Crab Dip Recipe

8 oz. cream cheese

1 c. Mayonaise not salad dressing

dash Worchestershire sauce

1/2 pkg dry onion soup mix

4 T ketchup

Mix well until smooth , then add 1 pkg frozen crab meat. This old recipe doesn't say how much to add, but I would think that 6 oz. of crab would do it.

This crab dip recipe is one that was published in our local newspaper many, many years ago. Once again, you could use canned crab (6-7 oz.), but I prefer fresh crab either king or snow crab.

Hot Crabmeat Spread/Dip Recipe

1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese

1 1/2 c. crab flaked and free of liquid

2 T. finely chopped onion

2 T. milk

1/2 tsp. horseradish (cream style)

1/4 tsp. salt

dash pepper

1/3 c. sliced almonds

Combine softened cream cheese, crabmeat, onion, milk, horseradish, and seasonigs. Mix well until well blended. Spoon into 9" pie plate or over-proof dish: sprinkle with nuts. Bake 375 degrees. Serve as a dip or spread with crackers or chips or crudites (veggies).

Hot Crab Dip Recipe

1 8oz. cream cheese softened

2 T. dry sherry

1 7oz can crabmeat or fresh crab

1 T. chopped chives

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. horseradish

1/2 pint sour cream

Sprinkle paprika on top

Blend cheese and sherry. Stir in rest of ingredients. Bake in an 8 inch casserole dish ot 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes.

Hot Atichoke Dip Recipe

1 large can artichokes drained and chopped

1 c. mayonaise

8 oz grated swiss cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into ungreased glass baking dish. Beke 30 min. at 350 degrees. Serve with you favorite crackers.

Appetizers Galore - Dips

Before I post all the appetizers I have found in my collection, I want to encourage all you nanas and poppas, grandmothers, and grandfathers to spend as much time as you can with your grandchildren, when they are young. I have two grandchildren in this area, one in Colorado, and three in Hawaii. Spend as much time with all of them as you can. They are a precious gift given to us by our children. Always remember the saying, "If I knew grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first.".

I spent Saturday afternoon taking my granddaughter Izzy and my grandson Timmy to see the Waterhorse. (Great family movie, by the way) We somehow got there at least 30 minutes before the show. ( I'm not good with time.) It gave us a chance to sit and visit while we waited for the movie. I suddenly realized that I have not been spending enough time with my oldest grandson and youngest granddaughter. They become really busy people when they enter school and begin playing soccer, baseball, etc. We had a great time, and decided to find another movie we could all enjoy, in a couple of weeks.

So, take the time to call your grandchildren, play with them, take them to a movie, or (since this blog is about cooking) teach them how to cook.

Now----on with the recipes for appetizers

Appetizer Recipes - Dips

Some of these recipes have not been tested by me, but they were in my collection of old recipes and look pretty good.

Reuben Dip Recipe

1/2 c. Frank's kraut, drained and chopped

1 3oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1 8oz. container sour cream

1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese

4 oz. sliced corned beef, finely diced

2-3 T. milk

Combine and heat all ingredients, except milk, in a small saucepan over low heat until hot. Thin with milk if necessary.

Mexican 7-Layer Dip Recipe

1 3/4 c. (16 oz.) can refried beans

1 pkg Taco seasoning

1 c. sour cream

1 c. 8 oz. container guacamole (You can make your own guacamole, if you want)

1 c. shredded 4 cheese Mexican Blend

1 c. thick and chunky salsa

1/2 c. (4oz) can diced green chiles

1/3 c.( 2 large) sliced green onions

Tortilla Chips

Combine refried beans and taco seasoning. Spread the bean mixture in an 8 inch square dish or pie plate. Top in layers in this order----sour cream, guacamole, cheese,salsa, chiles and green onions. Can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and chilled. Serve with chips.

Creamy Taco Dip Recipe

1 lb. Velveeta Cheese (16 oz.)

1 16 oz container of sour cream

1 pkg of taco seasoning

Melt cheese in the microwave on high 5 minutes. Stir after 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and taco seasoning. Mix together and heat till warm. Serve with chips.

Hot Layered Taco Dip Recipe

1 c. salad dressing

1 c. sour cream

1 can (4oz.) green chiles

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 c. each shredded lettuce and cheddar cheese

1/2 c. each chopped green onions and tomato

2 T slick black olives

Mix dressing, sour cream,chiles and seasoning mix. Spoon into bottom into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 F for 20 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Layer lettuce, cheese, green oinions,tomato, and olives over taco mixture. Serve with assorted cut up vegetables and/or tortilla chips.

Here are some spinach dip recipes that are each a little bit different from each other. It might be fun to try one of them for your next party.

Italian Spinach Dip Recipe with Edible Bowl

1 loaf (16 oz) round sourdough bread

1 c. salad dressing

1 c. sour cream

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 pkg. (10oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1/2 c. chopped red pepper (opt.)

Cut slice from top of bread loaf; remove center, leaving 1 inch thick shell. Cut removed bread into bite-size pieces.

Mix Italian dressing mix , sour cream, and salad dressing in small bowl until blended. Add pinach and red pepper; mix well and refrigerate.

Spoon dip into bread shell just before serving. Serve with bread pieces and cut up vegetables.

Hot Spinach Dip Recipe

1 c. salad dressing

1 pkg. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese or swiss cheese

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic minced

chopped tomato

sliced green onions

Mix all ingredients except tomato and onions.

Spoon into 9 inch pie plate.

Bake a 350F for 20 - 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with tomato and onions. Serve with crackers.

Spinach Beef Dip Recipe

1 10 oz. pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well drained.

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1 c. mayonaise

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1 T. dill weed

1 2 1/2 oz. pkg dried beef, rinsed and chopped

a few drops of Tabasco to taste

salt to taste

Combine all ingredients ,except dried beef, salt, and Tabasco, in blender. Blend on high for 1 -2 minutes. Serve with crackers. Some people don't use all the dried beef, as it is very salty.

I have several recipes for shrimp dip. Whenever I make anything with seafood, I use fresh or frozen shrimp, lobster, crab, salmon,etc. I really don't care for canned seafood unless it is tuna. For any recipe I post, just assume the seafood is fresh or frozen.

Shrimp Dip Recipe

8 oz. cream cheese plus 3 oz. cream cheese

1 pkg Italian dressing

1tsp lemon juice

6 oz. chopped shrimp

Mix softened cream cheese and other ingredients. Serve with crackers or chips

The following recipes come from a collection published in Sheridan ,Wyoming. It was published to celebrate 100 years of history from all the many long time residents of Sheridan. My mother-in-law had this book in her kitchen. It is well worn and used, so the recipes myst be good. When she passed away, my sister-in-law gave it to me, as she already had a copy. There are some great recipes in this book. I will reference them, as being from this book, when I post them.

These next 3 recipes are from that book.

Seafood Dip Recipe

1 (12 oz.) seafood sauce ( they listed Nally-I assume any cocktail sauce will do)

1 small can sliced ripe olives

1 can broken shrimp ( I would use 6 oz. fresh or frozen cocktail shrimp)

1/2 - 1 c. chopped celery

1 T. diced onion

Mix all ingredients well. Serve with crackers or chips.

Shrimp Dip Recipe

1 can broken shrimp ( I would use 6 oz. fresh or frozen shrimp)

2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. chili sauce

3-4 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 - 4 T horseradish

Mix all ingredients and chill. Serve with crackers or chips.

Shrimp Dip Recipe

1 8oz container sour cream

1 T. minced onion

3 T. chili sauce
salt and pepper
1 can shrimp ( 6oz. fresh or frozen shrimp)
1 tsp. parsley flakes

2 T lemon juice

Mash shrimp. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate before serving.

Serve with chips or crackers.

Finally More Recipes

Finally More Recipes

Dill Pickle Pinwheels

1 Jar of small dill pickles ( not the smallest ones, but the in between size)

2 packages of Hormel dried beef ( the one that is in the lunch meat section)

1 8oz package of cream cheese- room temperature- soft enough to spread on thin pieces of

dried beef

Take 2 pieces of dried beef and overlap them. Spread them with some cream cheese. Place a pickle at the top of the dried beef layers, and roll. Basically the same way as tortilla wraps. Place them in the refrigerator so that the cheese hardens and they can be sliced.

Slice them into 1/2 inch slices.

I like to make these the night before the party. They go quickly, and are always requested whenever I take food to other get - togethers.

Toasted Crab Wedges

6 T. softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. mayonnaise

1 ( 5 oz.) jar Old English Cheese spread (Kraft)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder6 oz. can crabmeat ( I prefer cooking a couple of crab legs, taking the meat out of the shell, and weighing it ,until I have

6 oz. - usually, 1 cluster of Snow crab or two King crab legs)

6 English muffins - split

Mix all of the above ingredients except for muffins. Spread on 12 muffin halves. Cut into 4 wedges each. Broil until lightly browned and bubbly. You can garnish the wedges with a dash of paprika if you like.

You can make these ahead of time and freeze them. I always make them ahead and take them out the day of the party to let them thaw, then broil right before serving.

Mini Baked Cheese Bites

1 lb. softened butter (room temperature)

4 jars Old English Cheese spread

1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp. dill weed

1 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt (any kind)

2 1/2 loaves sandwich bread

Mix all ingredients except bread. Trim the crust from bread. Make 3 layers of sandwiches spreading each layer with cheese mixture. Cut each sandwich into 4 cubes. Frost the top and sides with the cheese mixture. (don't frost the bottom of each cube). Freeze the cheese cubes on cookie sheets of plates in the freezer till firm, then bag for later use.

When ready to use, take them directly from the freezer, place on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. This makes approximately 60 cubes.

Kalmata Stuffed Mushrooms

16 large fresh mushrooms cleaned, and with stems removed

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 c. kalamata olives finally chopped

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

8 slices crispy cooked bacon

*Stove top stuffing mixed with water and some melted butter. Make only enough to fill the mushrooms. This always takes a bit of guessing on my part.

Mix cheese, olives, sauce, bacon, and stuffing. Put a mound of stuffing mixture into each mushroom. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. You can make these a day ahead and reheat in the microwave.

Veggies and Dip

Mix 1 1/2 packages of Hidden Valley Dip Mix into 1 pint of sour cream. Serve with assorted vegetables. I like to vary some of the veggies. Carrots and celery gets boring. Try halved radishes, cucumber slices, broccolli flowers,

Preparing for the Holiday Party

It's been one busy week at our household. Getting the Christmas decorations down from the attic, planning the menu for the annual Christmas party, making crafty decorations, and getting the Christmas letter ready. (Note to all Nanas out there---don't forget any of your grandbabies in the letter) It doesn't seem like there are enough hours during the day. And on top of it all, we had to follow the hiring of our new head football coach here in Nebraska. Nebraska fans are kind of "crazy", but I think the new guy will be a good fit. Anyway.........


Here's a recipe that I used many times when my kids were little, and time was short. It's from my 30 year old Campbells Soup cookbook.

Skillet Franks and Noodles

1 lb. hot dogs, cut in half diagonally
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 t. basil or oregano leaves
2 T. butter or margarine
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup (I have used both, and either is tasty)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. chopped tomatoes ( if your kids don't like tomato, it works without)
2 c. cooked wide noodles
2 T. chopped parsley

In the skillet ,brown the hot dogs and onion in the butter. Add the basil or oregano. Stir in the remaining ingredients and heat through, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 c.

cooking tip: I like to buy good hot dogs. (natural casings are especially good) I think the
extra money they cost, makes them tastier.

NOW: Prepping for the party:

I love to throw a Christmas party. It's a good time to get together with old friends, and enjoy good food and good conversation. When I give a party during the holidays, I prefer to make all the food myself. It actually makes it easier for me. I can do little things ahead of time and set up the buffet myself, allowing me to control the amounts and types of foods that fits my counter space and serving dishes.

No offense to all you "pot luckers", but my house has a medium size kitchen and small dining room. When people bring food to this type of party, I often can't find the counter, table space, or serving dishes necessary to do their food justice. In the summer, I have a lot more room on my deck and things are really low key. Lots of space outside.

Since you are making the food yourself, plan easy-to-make menu items, lots of finger foods, and small appetizers that can be made the day before, then popped into the oven a few minutes before the party begins. What follows is the menu I will be using next weekend for our Holiday Party. Recipes follow.

Easy Party Menu and Recipes for 30 people.

2 - 3 lbs. cooked, shelled, and deveined shrimp

pressed appetizer sandwich, sliced

glazed Italian meatballs

clam dip with chips

Ro-tel cheese dip with Fritoes or Doritoes

Bruscetta spread with "olive oil and cracked pepper" Triscuits

Marinated black olives, artichoke hearts, and button mushrooms on a tray with cheese cubes

and small pieces of sausages

Dill pickle pinwheels

Toasted crab wedges

Mini baked cheese bites

Mixed nuts and mints

Mini eclairs and mini cream puffs

Veggies and dip

Crackers with cream cheese and jalapeno pepper jelly

Kalamata Stuffed Mushrooms

I make enough food for 30 people, but serve the appetizers on small serving trays or plates, so guests can eat a little of everything. Then as the serving plates are emptied of food, take them back into the kitchen, wipe off any of the "globs", and refill. This allows the cold foods to remain cold in the fridge, and hot food comes right out of the oven. If you put everything out at once, things get funky looking and stale. We all have our friends who "double dip" from one appetizer to the next, and taking the food out little by little, keeps things looking great. This usually makes less time for you, but my idea of a party is to keep the guest happy, full, and visiting with other guests. It's not about me. Now for the party recipes.

Cold shrimp with cocktail sauce.

Buy your shrimp frozen, cooked, and peeled, with tails on or off. Keep them on ice until party time, then pat them dry before serving. You can place them in a bowl set in or on a layer of ice. I like the medium shrimp, not the giant or small. Some people like the shrimp in a ring with the sauce that comes with it. I don't like the texture. I prefer the frozen shrimp that can be defrosted the day before. To make the cocktail sauce, mix ketchup and horseradish to taste. You can also buy cocktail sauce in the jar. (It doesn't have enough horseradish for me.) Place the sauce in a small bowl in the middle of the pile of shrimp. Place some quartered lemons on top of the shrimp, for those who prefer to add lemon to their plate.

Tip: One year, in a hurry to get everything on the table, I forgot to put out the small bowl of sauce. When I was refilling appetizer plates on the buffet table, I noticed that the shrimp wasn't being eaten. I didn't figure it out until one of the guests asked me for ketchup for the shrimp. I immediately put out the sauce, but people were already full, so I was stuck with a lot of leftover shrimp. Now I check everything twice, 30 minutes before the party starts. That allows me extra time to fix stuff.

Pressed Appetizer Sandwich Recipe

1 (9 3/4-ounce) jar green olive salad, drained and chopped

1/4 c. chopped black olives ( one small can)

1 large celery stalk, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce, divided

1 bacquette loaf of bread

3 T olive oil

1/2 lb salami sliced deli thin (you can use other meats if you like)

1/2lb ham sliced deli thin

1/2lb thinly slice provolone cheese

(sliced roasted red pepper strips if you like, but don't use very many. they can make the sandwich to thick for pressing. You can also use some thin slices of red onion, but again, not too much , making the sandwich too thick)

In bowl, combine olive salad, black olives, celery, and 1 tsp tabasco sauce. Mix well. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Remove some soft bread from the top and bottom, allowing room for the meats and cheese. You will have to trim the meat and cheese to fit the width of the bread. If the meat and cheese hang outside the bread, it will come apart when sliced. Just put the trimmings into the sandwich. Combine olive oil and the remaining 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce. Brush on inside of the bread. Place olive mixture in the bottom bread, and top with meats and cheese. Replace top. Cut the sandwich in half . Now the tricky part.

Wrap the sanwich tightly (and I do mean tightly) in Saran Wrap. ( I use Reynold clear wrap, because it sticks to itself ). Wrap it more than once, so that the sandwich is pressed together. Place a tray or cookie sheet on top and lightly weight the sheet down. This makes the sandwich press together, creating a type of pinwheel effect when sliced. Refrigerate overnight.

On the next day, slice sandwich into one inch pieces. Lay them cut side down on a plate or in a container. Taste one of the pieces. If too dry, brush each piece lightly, with a mixture of olive oil and white basalmic vinegar. Place plastic wrap on that layer, add more slices, and continue brushing with vinegar if needed. Continue with the layering until you've used all the slices.

This is a great recipe for a tailgating party. Easy to make the night before, and easy to transport. For my party of 40, I will double the recipe.

Italian Meatbells with Glaze Recipe

1 to 1 1/2 lb frozen Italian meatballs (I use Schwann's, but you could use any pre-cooked frozen meatballs)

Glaze

2 T. brown sugar

1/2 c. Cranberry cocktail

10 ounce jar apple jelly

1 jar chili sauce

2 tsp lemon juice

Heat all ingredient in sauce pan, until jelly melts. Pour over cooked meatballs. Keep them warm in some sort of crock pot or fondue pot.

Clam Dip Recipe served with Potato Chips

1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 can of minced or chopped clams, liquid reserved

1/ tsp garlic powder

Mix softened cream cheese with reserved juice, one Tablespoon at a time, until mixture is the consistency you want. Add the other ingredients. You may want more garlic powder or more Worcestershire to your taste. Serve with chips.

This is a recipe taught to me by my mother-in-law. Everyone in the family makes it a little different, depending on their families' tastes. Once you add it to your recipe box, you will make it a lot.

Ro-tel Queso Dip Recipe

Mix a 10 ounce can of Ro-Tel with a 16 ounce package of Velveeta Prepared Cheese ( I use Mexican Velveeta Cheese. It makes is spicier) cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat in the microwave for 5 minutes. Stir after 3 minutes. Keep warm in a crock pot or fondue pot. Stir a lot. Serve with Fritoes or Doritos.

"Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil" Triscuits and Bruschetta Spread Recipe

1 tub soft cream cheese, softened

2 T chopped fresh basil

1 clove garlic crushed

1/2 c diced tomatoes ( I use drained canned tomatoes)

1/2 c. chopped cucumber ( during the winter, I use an English cucumber)

1/2 c sliced green onions

sliced black olives to taste

2 T. Italian dressing

Mix cream cheese, basil garlic and 2 T dressing. Spread on a plate and make an indent in the center. Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and dressing. Spoon into indent. Serve with crackers.

Marinated olives, artichoke hearts, and button mushrooms

Put above ingredients in a large reclosable bag. Pour Italian dressing over mixture to coat them. Leave overnight. Drain before placing them on a sectioned plate.

More recipes later:

Another Turkey Story

Yesterday, I decided to take a break from my cleaning and go out to eat with my husband, instead of cooking. We went to our local Mexican/Pizza restaurant. Yes, that's right... a restaurant that specializes in both pizza and Mexican fare. So I didn't use the final leftover turkey until tonight. But first a turkey story:



My friend stopped in for a glass of wine and some conversation in our usual place, "nana's kitchen". We started discussing our latest Thanksgiving dinner. She also had a turkey" size" problem. Her boss always gives them an 18lb. turkey, but she only had 4 people for dinner. That's a lot of leftovers. As for the turkey story, it wasn't defrosting as quickly as she wanted, so she put it in a 5 gallon bucket of cold water in the garage. Every time she took it out to change the water, it slipped from her grasp, fell back into the bucket, and doused her with water. On Thanksgiving Day she cooked the turkey in her roaster, but concerned that a turkey that size would take too long, she placed it in a Reynolds roasting bag. When the turkey was done, she started to pull it, and the bag, out of the roaster. The side of the bag was stuck to the roaster and the turkey fell back into the roaster, splashing her and her kitchen with turkey juice. The turkey drenching was now complete.( I guess you had go be there.) We decided that Thanksgiving is sometimes more work than it's worth. But we also decided that it would be terribly wrong not to have dinner at home, no matter how much work it is. It's all about family, tradition, and giving thanks.



As for my leftover turkey recipe:

Cheesy creamed turkey

2 T butter
2 c. cubed cooked leftover turkey
6 green onions sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup ( I prefer Campbell 's)
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack/Colby cheese
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. turkey stock ( if you don't make turkey stock with leftover bones, use chicken broth.)



Saute the green onions in butter. Add the turkey and continue cooking for a few minutes.

Mix the cream of mushroom soup, turkey stock, and milk until smooth. Add to turkey- onion mixture. Heat through, then add the cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over noodles or toast. Makes approximately 3 cups.

For those of you who want to make homemade turkey stock the recipe is as follows:


Place the turkey bones ,carcass and all, in a large pot. Add several cans of chicken broth.(I like Swanson's ) and water. Add two carrots, several stocks of celery, 20 peppercorns, and salt to taste. Simmer for 2 hours. Strain the broth and refrigerate. The fat will congeal at the top and you will be left with a gelatin. You can then freeze it in either large or small quantities, depending on how you plan to use it.

Here's another" leftover" recipe from my 30 year old Campbell Soup " Cooking with Soup" cookbook:

Chicken/Turkey A La King

1/4c. chopped onion
2 T chopped green pepper
2 T butter or margarine
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/3 to 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey
2 T diced pimiento
Dash pepper.

Cook onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Blend in soup and milk. Add chicken, pimiento and pepper. Heat slowly and stir often. Serve over toast. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

I'll add some more recipes from this great book in the future.