Ham and Cheese Fondue, my way

As usual, I've taken the original recipe and changed it to suit our tastes/ what I had on hand. We enjoyed this dip here at home during the Superbowl.

Ham & Cheese Fondue, Amy's Way

1 8oz. brick cream cheese, cubed

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I actually used dried chives)

1 container light sour cream

1 cup diced ham

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in mini crockpot and cook on low for about half an hour.

Stir well, turn heat down to low, and serve warm.

We used Ritz crackers, Fritos, and celery sticks for dipping. Yum! The original recipe called for baking this in a bread bowl and serving it with the bread cubes, and I'm sure that's good, too- I plan to try it that way some day! ;)

Pineapple Blue Cheese Dip

I made this Pineapple Blue Cheese Dip for a party on Saturday and it was well received. I doubled the recipe (using slightly more blue cheese and green onions than the recipe called for) to make enough to fill the pineapple, and served it with Ritz crackers.

Bacon Biscuit Puffs

These always go over well at parties. I served them yesterday at my Stampin' Up party and had several requests for the recipe, so I thought I'd share it here.

BACON BISCUIT PUFFS

*You will need mini muffin pans.

1-2 tubes flaky layers biscuits

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

1/2 cup mayo (I always use fat-free.)

2 TBSP sugar

5 drops hot sauce (I use whatever's on hand- buffalo sauce, red hot sauce, etc.)

8 slices cooked, crumbled bacon (I use precooked bacon crumbles.)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion (I have used both yellow and green onions, either one works.)

1/2 TBSP garlic powder

Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Peel the biscuit layers apart- I usually get two or three from each biscuit. Place each biscuit piece in a muffin pan and gently press down the center. Combine remaining ingredients to make filling. Place a spoonfull of filling into the center of each biscuit. Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes, or until biscuits are golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Note: I usually have more biscuits and filling than will fit into my two mini muffin pans. We like to save these, and make full-sized biscuit versions the next morning for breakfast. :)

Super Bowl Menu

So what are you eating on Super Bowl Sunday? We're not having a party or going anywhere this year, but we will still have a supper of fun party foods. :)

Here's our menu:
~ Hot wings for DH and I (frozen, premade)
~ Chicken Rings for the kids (frozen, premade)
~ Our favorite homemade baked fries.
~ Nacho Dip and Chips:

My Mom's Nacho Dip:
1 lb sausage, browned
1 lb Velveeta, cubed
1 jar salsa (I use Pace picante sauce)

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low setting. Serve with chips.

~ My favorite Hot Broccoli Dip and chips
~ and whatever kind of cookies or brownies I whip up this afternoon.

Clearly, this is not a health food diet, but once in a while it's fun to just snack all evening on some fun foods! :)

Veggie Pizza

Yum! I hadn't made one of these in a while, so I made one for a belated family Christmas party on Sunday. I thought the purple cauliflower and yellow peppers made it quite colorful and fun. :)

VEGGIE PIZZA

2 tubes crescent roll dough

2 bricks cream cheese, softened (I would have used low-fat, but the store only had regular!)

1/4 cup mayo (I used fat-free.)

1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

3 cups assorted chopped veggies (I used purple cauliflower, broccoli, yellow peppers, and shredded carrots.)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Unroll crescents onto a cookie sheet and smooth edges together. Bake according to package instructions- around 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool. Mix together the cream cheese, mayo, and ranch dressing mix. Spread mixture onto crust. Top with chopped veggies, then cheese. Refridgerate until serving time. Cut into squares for serving.

"Gobble, Gobble" Carnival- fall desserts

g I wanted to participate in this fun Thanksgiving recent carnival, but today was just too busy for blogging long recipes. So, here are a couple of quick links to two wonderful fall treats:

The first is one of my personal favorites, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- I just posted the recipe here a few weeks ago. I usually make a big batch of these to take to the various places we go on Thanksgiving.

The second link is a bonus- it's a link from my friend Sarah's blog-- it's for her Layered Pumpkin Loaf. I tasted it at her recent Stampin' Up party, and it's delicious. She just posted the recipe on her blog, and you won't want to miss it!

to c

Hot Broccoli Dip

Here's one of my favorites, and it's quick and easy:

HOT BROCCOLI DIP
1 lb of pepper jack cheese, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 box frozen, chopped broccoli
for serving: 1 bag of Fritos scoops, or hearty crackers

Cook broccoli per directions and drain. Combine cheese, soup, and broccoli in a bowl and microwave until cheese is completely melted, stirring every minute or so. Stir dip well and serve hot (I keep mine in a mini crockpot- it will get very thick if it cools).

Leftovers are great poured over baked potatoes for lunch the next day.

One of my sisters requests that I make this any time I ask her what appetizer I should bring to any family function. :) Enjoy!