Coffee Jell-O

This is another recipe that I found in the most recent issue of Taste of Home. We had company over for supper last weekend - company who LOOOOOOVES coffee, so I decided that the time was right to test out this recipe. It went over well - everyone said it truly tastes like coffee, BUT (there's always a "but" isn't there?), it's too "weird". They said that coffee in "jiggly" form just isn't quite right somehow - SO, whilest it was a good attempt, I probably won't be making this dish again. But if you can get over the "weird" texture of this, then I'd say it's a keeper!

Ingredients

1 envelope of unflavored gelatin

1/4 c. cold water

1 1/2 c. brewed coffee

1/4 c. sugar

Whipped Cream

Directions

In a saucepan, sprinkle packet of gelatin in 1/4 cup of water, let stand for one minute. Stir in brewed coffee and sugar. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour into serving dish of choice. Cover and refrigerate until set. Garnish with Cool Whip before serving.

Deviled Eggs

What would be a potluck celebration of any kind without at least one or two platters of these eggs sitting out? Every church potluck, family get together, holiday celebration or summer picnic that I've ever been to has always included deviled eggs, and I have always loved that! I've never made deviled eggs myself before, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to make! Just toss, mix and spoon into the egg white! Done!

Ingredients...

...6 eggs

...1 tsp. white vinegar

...1 T. mayonnaise

...1/4 tsp. mustard

...Salt and pepper to taste

...1 tsp. paprika

Directions...

Hard boil eggs and let cool. Cut the eggs in half and remove yolks, placing them in a medium sized bowl and setting the egg whites aside for later. To the egg yolks add the vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard and salt/pepper. Mash and stir until everything is well combined, adding more mayonnaise as necessary. Spoon the mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with paprika. Serve chilled.

Crockpot Spinach Dip

Day 2 of your Valentines Day Dinner...the appetizer, yuuummm!!

Hubs and I have an unnatural obsession with Totinos Creamy Spinach chip dip. We luurrrve the stuff! I figured that there has to be a way to make this stuff at home so we can enjoy it more regularly.

Which could be a bad thing, but I'm choosing not to look at it in that light. I keep telling myself that since I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese and light mayo that it's not that heavy in the calorie area. It would probably be best if I hit the gym tomorrow anyways, just in case ;)

I was pleasantly surprised at how close to the real thing this came. Hubs said he thinks it's still missing something, but I'm 100% content with how it turned out! I've already decided that the Totinos dip will be no more. Hubs can take it or leave it. I'm pretty sure he'll take it.

Ingredients...

...1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen, chopped spinach
...1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese
...1/2 c. mayonnaise
...8 oz. cheddar cheese
...1/2 tsp. Tabasco Sauce

Directions...

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high until melted, creamy and heated through. Place slow cooker on a lower setting to keep the dip warm for serving purposes. Serve with tortilla chips, bread, bagel chips or crackers.

To see more great recipes, check out Crockpot Wednesday over at Dining with Debbie!!

Other Super Bowl Worthy Recipes...

Okay, so I know I promised yesterday over on MoneySavinDiva that I was going to share a recipe for Gridiron Brownies today, but we've had a death in the family and I just haven't had the time to whip these up. So if you are really interested in this recipe then here it is, over at Allrecipes. If you do decide to make this then please let me know how they turned out!!

In lieu of a recipe today (I am soooo sorry!!) I wanted to share recipes that I've posted in the past (besides the ones I've been sharing all week) that would make perfectly acceptable Super Bowl fare as well!

...Tortilla Pinwheels
...Mini Sliders
...Bacon Quesadillas
...Pizza Dip
...BLT Dip
...Crockpot Chili
...Golden Potato Rounds
...Crockpot Meatballs in BBQ Cranberry Sauce
...BLT Pizza
...BBQ Chicken Pizza


I hope that this will give you some ideas for your Super Bowl Party spread...if you have any recipes that you would like to see me feature on this blog then please email them to me! My email is moneysavingdiva at gmail dot com. This goes for any recipe as well, not just appetizer and Super Bowl Recipes! I love to try new recipes, so send away!!

Cheesy Sausage Tidbits

Sausage. Cheese. Biscuit. This sounds more like a breakfast food than an appetizer...and I suppose it could go both ways, but a note of warning to those of you planning on turning this appetizer into breakfast...this is in no way healthy! I found this recipe over at Allrecipes and figured that no football loving man would turn away sausage wrapped in biscuit and cheese, so it made the final cut into my Super Bowl spread.

The dough portion of this recipe, as written, is pretty dry. I discovered that there was no way it was going to stick around the sausage being so dry, so I added about a 1/4 cup of water to the dough mixture. I'm letting you know this because the amount of water you want to add is completely up to you. I just added until the dough felt to be a good consistency to form around the sausage. So you'll have to play with it a little bit.

Otherwise, this recipe was great! These little sausage tidbits were quite tasty, and we enjoyed them dipped in some ketchup. I think they'd be mighty divine dipped in some syrup as well! But I'm not so sure how sticky syrup sitting on an appetizer plate in your living room on your couch would go over...

Ingredients...

...1 pkg. sausage links
...1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
...1/2 c. butter
...1 tsp. garlic salt
...1 1/4 c. flour
...water

Directions...

Cook sausages according to package directions. When cool, cut each link into thirds. In a large bowl, combine the cheese, butter, garlic salt and flour until a dough forms. Add water until the dough has reached a consistency appropriate for wrapping around the sausage bits. Roll each sausage piece into a small chunk of dough, forming a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

Pizza Pinwheels

There is only one word to describe this recipe. Delicious. Seriously, amazingly delicious! These will make a great addition to your big game day spread this Sunday, and I guarantee there will be none left when the game is over (or even the first half for that matter).

I found this recipe in an old issue of Taste of Home. I have over 50 old issues of Taste of Home sitting in my cookbook cupboard dated everywhere from the early 90's to present day. I love them! They are just as fun as a hometown cookbook, written by church ladies and farm wives, because it is just good old down home cooking...which is what I like! Nothing too fancy, nothing that calls for ingredients you can't find anywhere...just basic ingredients in a delicious and simple recipe that anyone can pull off! This recipe was no exception. This is probably one of the easiest things you will ever make in your cooking lifetime. Seriously.

Ingredients...

...2 tubes crescent rolls
...pepperoni
...Pizza Sauce
...Shredded Cheese

Directions...

Unroll crescent dough and pinch together perforations to form one large sheet of dough. Spread pizza sauce over dough, and then layer pepperoni slices to cover. Roll up dough, and slice into rolls. Place on baking sheet, and sprinkle shredded cheese over each individual roll. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

To see more great Super Bowl recipes, check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap going on over at Life as Mom!

Creamy Sausage Dip

This is a surefire crowd pleaser. Men and women alike will be gobbling up this dip faster than you can blink an eye. I don't know why it tastes so good. One look at the ingredients list, and I thought to myself, "what?!? This can't be good!" But it is. I recently took it to a family function to test out before the big game, and I was thanked...yes thanked...for bringing it. Simply because it was so good. Not because they had ever had it before and it was a favorite. Just because it. is. that. good.

I found this recipe over at A Year of Slowcooking, where Stephanie lovingly refers to this dip as Mommy Crack. I've tried recipes that are loosely similar to this one, but never with these ingredients, so I was eager to give it a go. Plus, the tag of "Mommy Crack" just had me interested...

Ingredients...

(no picture, sorry!)

...1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese

...1 lb. ground sausage, browned and drained

...1 can tomatoes and green chiles, drained

...Tortilla Chips

Directions...

Plop it all into a slow cooker (if you have a mini slow cooker, that is the perfect size!) and cook until melted and heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

To see more great recipes, check out Crockpot Wednesday over at Dining with Debbie!

Tortilla Pinwheels

If you are looking for a quick, easy and low maitenance appetizer for an upcoming event (*cough*cough* perhaps a new years countdown?) then this is your recipe. Not only is is quick and easy, but once it's made...you can pretty much put it on a serving plate on the table and forget about it. No worries about how to keep it warm, keep it from melting...just fix it and forget it. Well, don't entirely forget it. I do hope that you'll remember to at least eat it! But that shouldn't be a problem, because not only are these quick and easy little appetzers...they're delicious too!

These would work for any occaison as well...not just a new years party! You could make them for family gatherings, a picnic, a potluck, just for fun...the possibilites are endless because you will never find an occaison to which these will not be a perfectly acceptable addition to the culinary spread!

Ingredients...

...10-12 tortillas
...6 green onions, finely chopped
...1/4 c. salsa
...8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
...4 oz. shredded cheese

Directions...

In a large bowl, stir together green onions, cream cheese, salsa and shredded cheese. Spread over a tortilla, which has been microwaved for 30 seconds (this option is not entirely necessary, but makes the rolling process that much easier). Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for several hours and then slice into rounds.

Mini Sliders

This is the most perfect starter for a night out for two reasons. First, they are small enough not to count as a full meal. Second, they are big enough to put enough food in your stomach so that you aren't snacking on the super calorific appetizers all night! Not only would these make a great starter for any party or night out, but they also make a fun and easy meal. The only downside to this recipe? I don't measure. I just guess. So figuring measurements out is up to you and what looks good!

Ingredients...

...1 lb. ground meat
...2 eggs
...Shredded Cheese
...Seasoned Salt
...Minced Onion
...Garlic Powder

Directions...

In a large bowl, combine ground meat, eggs and cheese. Add in seasoned salt, garlic powder and minced onion until the flavor is to your liking. Form small patties from the mixture and cook in a hot skillet until browned all the way through. Serve on rolls or small hamburger buns with the appropriate condiments!

Bacon Quesadillas

New Years Eve is in just a few short days...are you ready? Whatever your plans are...going out, staying in, hosting a party, attending a party...here is your solution. This tasty and different quesadilla would be a great tummy filler before heading out on the town for the night...or a great appetizer to contribute to any party you may be hosting/attending for the big countdown. And if you're planning on sitting at home and watching the ball drop, then this would be a great addition to your snacking fare for the evening!

Ingredients...

...Tortillas (two per quesadilla)
...Bacon (one slice per quesadilla)
...Cheese (the amount can be determined by you)

Directions...

Cook bacon, according to your own preferences (I cook mine in the microwave). In a skillet, warm a small amount of olive oil. Place one tortilla in the pan and cover with cheese, leaving room around the edges. Cut bacon into pieces and top cheese with it. Put second tortilla on top and cook until cheese is melted. Flip, to brown top tortilla just a little bit. Cut into fourths and serve.

Pizza Dip

I love using my crockpot. I'm pretty sure I've confessed that love of mine to you all before. I have two crockpots, a larger sized one and a smaller one. (and I've asked for two more for Christmas!). I've never really used the smaller one before except to make a nacho cheese dip once, I usually make that recipe in the microwave, but I had to travel with it, so the mini crockpot just made good sense. I finally decided after cruising around A Year of Crockpotting that it was high time my mini crockpot got some lovin'. So I made Steph's version of the Pizza Fondue Dip. She has really made me want to make fondue and dip in my mini crockpot every day now!

Ingredients...

...1 cup pizza sauce
...handful of pepperoni
...1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
...1 cup shredded cheese

Directions...

Cut pepperonies into pieces. Dump all ingredients into mini crockpot and stir together (if you don't have a mini crockpot, just place a small, oven safe dish, into your normal size crockpot.). Plug in and let cook for about an hour before serving (most mini crockpots don't have heat settings. If yours does for some reason then, a) use the high heat setting and b) TELL ME WHAT BRAND IT IS!!!!)

Caramel Corn

Mmmm! Caramel corn! I've never homemade it before, but I ate it homemade as a kid and loved it! So when I stumbled upon a recipe this week I knew I just had to try it in celebration of Halloween week! It just seems to be a fall food to me for some reason! So, if you think that your kids aren't going to get enough candy and sugar tomorrow night, you should whip up a warm batch of this for them to munch on before they go out trick or treating!

Ingredients...

...5 quarts popped, plain popcorn (this equals to about 3 bags of microwave or 1/2 cup unpopped kernels)
...1/2 cup butter
...2 cups brown sugar
...1/2 cup corn syrup
...1 tsp. salt
...1/2 tsp. baking soda
...1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions...

Pop popcorn and place in two 9x13 inch pans. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Once melted, stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture starts boiling, let boil for 4 minutes, without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour in a steady, thin stream over the popcorn. Stir to coat popcorn. Place in preheated oven at 250 for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool and then break up and store in an airtight container.

BLT Dip

I first made this last Christmas for one of out get togethers and it was gobbled right up! I kind of forgot about the recipe until I was prepping for a family reunion yesterday and I just couldn't decide for the life of me what I wanted to make. I thought of this recipe for some reason, and decided to go for it!

The Ingredients...

...1 cup sour cream
...1 cup mayonnaise (I used the homemade mayo)
...1 cup shredded cheese
...1 cup chopped tomatoes
...6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions...

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate until serving. This dip can be served with crackers, chips or cut up bagels.

The Verdict...

Hubs was practically giddy when I told him this was what I was planning on making for the reunion. He loves this stuff! And, I too, must admit that it is mighty tasty! It was a hit at the reunion (as well as last Christmas when I made it for the first time!). This is a tasty dip that is a sure crowd pleaser!

To see other great recipes check out Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!