Super Bowl Snack - BBQ Pulled Chicken Bites with Tex-Mex Feta Slaw

With the Super Bowl less than a week away, I thought it was way past due to share this super snack I made for last year's festivities! One of my favorite things to do when making a food item for a particular event is to take classic types of foods and give them a new spin. For example, the Super Bowl is all about American snack foods, meat, and beer. I went with BBQ and made a tasty treat that while a little higher end than what you might find at a Super Bowl party it fit in perfectly. Unfortunately the photos I took were not very good but I promise you the food is delicious! I probably could have made twice as many!


BBQ Pulled Chicken Bites with Tex-Mex Feta Slaw

The slaw was inspired by the Feta Slaw in Cooking Light.

1 package Trader Joe's BBQ Pulled Chicken (or your favorite local brand or restaurant)
1 package Trader Joe's Puff Pastry, thawed (2 sheets, total weight 1lb)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (I substituted red wine vinegar and it turned out fine)
1 tablespoon canola mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups angel hair coleslaw (I used one bag (10 oz) Trader Joe's Shredded Green Cabbage)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled (I used Trader Joe's Fat Free Feta)

1. Heat the oven to 400. Combine vinegar, mayonnaise, and black pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add coleslaw, cilantro, jalapeno, feta and green onions; toss to coat. As with most recipes, I suggest that you work with this as to your own preference. Want a little more heat? Add more jalapeno. Want more moisture in your slaw? Make more dressing. For best results, make at least an hour before serving so the flavors and meld.

2. Cut puff pastry into approximately 2 inch squares. I suggest that you measure you puff pastry and take those measurements into account so that your squares are even.

3. Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and press a piece of puff pastry into each muffin cup. Top with pulled chicken.

4. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (you may wish to check beginning at 10 minutes. They are ready with the pastry is golden brown.

5. Serve either with the slaw on the side or top each bite with the slaw before serving. This will make about 36 bites though you will likely have leftover slaw. It was even better the next day!

Super Bowl Decor

Last year I posted some fun decor items for your Super Bowl party. There are so many great inspirational sites out there with great ideas from the simple to the elaborate. I was impressed that Target has created some cute items of their own for game day. You don't have to be crafty to elevate YOUR Super Bowl game! Here are two of my favorites - mini foam fingers and astroturf coasters! Of course the foam fingers aren't in either team's colors but they are in MY alma mater's colors (hint: Ohio University - buy these out!).

Have a great Super Bowl everyone!

Rice Krispie Treat Pops

My birthday was last month and I decided I wanted to make somesort of treat to share with my friends. Since we were going to be at a bar, I wanted something that would be easy to eat - something on a stick. I am not much of a baker and did not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I recalled seeing some photos on Pinterest of Rice Krispie Treat Pops - bingo!

After looking at several recipes, I really did not find what I was looking for in any one single recipe. So of course I put together the best parts along with some advice from Lisa at The Little Red Apron and my own ideas! My pops turned out great so hopefully this will help you in the creation of your own pops! I wanted to make sure to share these before Valentine's Day for all of you parents that are looking for a fun treat for a classroom party. What I love about this recipe is that it is completely adaptable for any holiday or occasion just by do any of the following:

• Using different colors of chocolate
• Adding or subtracting sprinkles
• Changing the color and/or shape of sprinkles
• Adding a few drops of food coloring
• Using different sticks
• Mixing in other cereals
• Cutting shapes out of the treats

It's like the Choose Your Own Adventure of desserts!


Rice Krispie Treat Pops

4 tablespoons butter or margarine (Note: This is one tablespoon more than Kellogg's recommends.)
1 10 oz package of fresh marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal (Note: There is now a gluten free version and I have been told it tastes the same.)
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, optional
sprinkles, optional
Melting chocolate

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Add optional extract for a flavor boost (I used vanilla). This is also when optional food coloring should be added. Remove from heat.

2. Slowly add cereal to marshmallow mixture. Sprinkles should be added with cereal - I like a lot of sprinkles so add to your liking. Do not add sprinkles to measured cereal as they will sift to the bottom and will be a challenge to mix evenly. I recommend adding half the cereal and some sprinkles to start. Then keep adding both until all of the cereal is used and you have achieved your preferred level of sprinkle. I probably used just shy of a 1/4 of a cup of sprinkles.

3. Once thoroughly mixed, use a buttered spatula or wax paper to press into a 13 x 9 inch (or similar sized) pan that has been greased with cooking spray or butter.Traditionally you wouldn't want to push the mixture down too much as it can make for a dense treat. You want a dense treat for the pops. Make sure to build them up so that they are square enough to be a pop. You will likely not fill the pan.

 

4. Cool on the counter or pop into the fridge of freezer to speed the process along.

5. Cut into even squares no smaller than 2 x 2 inches. I did not measure exactly so mine are different sizes. If you want them to be uniform you will need to measure your pan and do some math. You will likely have some scraps on one end where it wasn't exactly the same height as the rest. This is the cook's treat. Enjoy while you finish the pops!

6. Melt the chocolate (I got mine at Michaels) in the microwave or a double boiler. I recommend the microwave as it makes clean up that much easier. However make sure you are using the type of chocolate that can be used in the microwave. If you use regular chocolate chips you run the risk of scorching the chocolate.

7. Dip a treat stick into the melted chocolate and then push through the shorter end of the treat until it is about halfway through. As the chocolate hardens it will help anchor the treat to the stick. I also recommend you wear an apron. As you can see by the photo below I did not.

 

 

8. Stick your pop in the melted chocolate. I find that the microwave chocolate is very thick so I used a mini spatula to help brush it up on the sides and also to make sure each pop wasn't TOO chocolaty. Place pop on a piece of wax paper to allow the chocolate to harden. If you want to add MORE sprinkles, this would be the time to do so before the chocolate cools.

9. Repeat for remaining pops and once they are cool place them in an air tight container. As with traditional treats, these are best the day they are made and should be consumed within two days.

I promise these treats will be a hit. One girl at my party ate four of them. Yes, four of them. Is it wrong that I want to make another batch of these right now? Have fun and be sure to let me know about any interesting combinations you create!!!

Super Bowl Sunday!!!!

Growing up I was not a fan of the Super Bowl. Despite being a cheerleader for a few years, I just could never get into the game. Then in college (and for some years after) the Super Bowl conflicted with my birthday - some years being the same day. That is not the best way to turn me into a fan! Finally the NFL wised up and pushed it back a week. Now I can enjoy my birthday weekend AND top off two months of gluttony with a big greasy finish.

Of course you don't have to go crazy on the calories for the Super Bowl. My contribution to the festivities in 2012 was a wonderful Jalapeno Popper Dip. I found the recipe on Pinterest and then changed a few ingredients to lighten it up. It was delicious!

Last year's dish was a take on the classic sliders and the calorie content was not as closely monitored. If you are hosting a large party, this particular dish is great because it stays warm in the slow cooker so people can help themselves!

Cheeseburger Bites
From Pillsbury Fast Slow Cooker Cookbook

This recipe includes my changes. One the major changes was that I doubled the recipe. The existing recipe only called for 1 lb of meat for 24 burger bites. This was just over a tablespoon per bite. I couldn't imagine anyone (especially guys) that would use so little! I also changed the cooking time thanks to the reviews on the website. 3 to 4 hours sounded crazy!

Bites
2 lb lean (at least 80% - I used 90 or 95% lean) ground beef
4 tablespoons ketchup
4 teaspoons instant minced onion (I didn't have minced onion so I finely chopped some onion and sauteed it before adding the meat.)
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
16 oz (2 blocks) cheddar cheese, or whatever cheese you like (the recipe called for American and I used 1 block of cheddar and 1 Monterey Jack), cut into 2 inch cubes
24 miniature burger buns

Toppings
Dill pickle chips
Sliced plum (Roma) tomatoes
Shredded lettuce (I used butter lettuce from a bag of salad.)
Additional ketchup and mustard
Other toppings you enjoy - I also provided relish, sauteed onions, and mayo.

1. In 10 inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in ketchup, onion (unless you cooked fresh onion with the meat), and mustard.

2. Spray 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Spoon beef mixture into slow cooker. Top with cheese.

3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting for 1 - 2 hours. Check at one hour to see if the cheese is melted. It may still look "cubed" but if you start to stir it the cubes fall away. I found that mine was ready in a little over an hour. With occasional stirring, this dish will hold on Low heat for several hours. Eventually I did turn off the slow cooker and with the lid on it stayed warm. It can burn if left on for too long.

4. Serve with the buns and toppings. Either assemble yourself or create a buffet for guests to top as they desire.

Photo courtesy of Pillsbury as I forgot to take one.

Looking for some more great recipes for the big game? Thrillist posted some great recipes earlier today. You can find them here.


So now that you have your food squared away, you need to think decor. Here are a few easy ways to dress up your Super Bowl party.

Free Signage
There are a number of free Super Bowl printables available online. You can do a simple search via search engine or Pinterest. This set from A to Zebra Celebrations is both simple and cute. Here is a sample of what you will find.

Make Easy Signage
I made this little sign to fit the Tolsby frame from IKEA. A simple font was used so that anyone attending the party could make one for their dish. Just pulled the Super Bowl logo online and added a border and a text box in Word. Super simple!

Double Duty Decor
Get this great cylinder set from IKEA and fill with a variety of items including football shaped chocolates and plastic football or helmet rings. Guests can snack on the chocolate and wear the rings!

Hope you have a great Super Bowl Sunday and that you win your score square! If you have some favorite dishes for the Super Bowl, be sure to share them below!

Turkey Day Cocktails

Last week I shared with you a couple fun ideas for Thanksgiving tablescapes using the same products on each table. As promised, I am pleased to share some delicious cocktails to make your Thanksgiving more festive! The two recipes I am sharing today are for Apple Cider Margaritas and Lingonberry Royales. Both are drinks I have successfully served at previous Thanksgivings. The Lingonberry Royale has been a recurring Thanksgiving drink whereas the Apple Cider Margarita was inspired by my initial discovery of Pinterest!

Apple Cider Margaritas
This recipe is modified from the recipe on How Sweet it Is. Photo credit also goes to this site as I was too busy drinking margaritas to take a photo! I changed this recipe due to cost of ingredients as well as simplicity in serving for a large crowd. The margaritas in the original recipe would need to be individually made and at an event with over 20 people that was not realistic. The portions below are for one drink so multiple for the quantity of drinks/size of pitcher.

1 ounce Citronge
1 ounce gold tequila
5-6 ounces apple cider (I used both Trader Joe's Spiced Cider and their Pear Cinnamon Cider and thought both were great.)
orange wedges
sugar (coarse preferred)
cinnamon
ice

1. Mix Citronage, tequila and cider together in a pitcher. I recommend having the cider chilled in advance.

2. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and place on a saucer. This will be used to rim the glasses. I did a 50/50 mixture.

3. Take a glass and rub the lip with an orange wedge. Dip the glass lip into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Squeeze the remaining juice from the orange into the glass and toss the wedge into the bottom of the glass.

4. Fill the glass with ice and the tequila mixture. Enjoy!

Lingonberry Royale
This is a take on the classic Kir Royale. If you have never tasted a lingonberry before, I like to say that they taste like a cranberry and a raspberry had a baby but in reality it is probably more like a tiny cranberry. Sounds perfect for Thanksgiving doesn't it!?!? I get the lingonberry concentrate from IKEA however if you don't have an IKEA handy you can order from Amazon. I think an unsweetened cranberry juice (or at least a naturally sweetened - NOT cranberry juice cocktail) could probably work in a pinch as well.

lingonberry drink concentrate
water
sparkling wine

1. Mix 1x lingonberry drink concentrate to 2x water. Keep in mind that you will end up with 3x the amount of lingonberry so choose your proportions carefully. The water is key in order for the concentrate to mix with the sparkling wine. Otherwise it is too heavy and does not mix well.

2. Place lingonberry mixture in a champagne flute (to taste) and top with sparkling wine. Serve!

 

NOTE: Not an actual photo of a Lingonberry Royale however a close approximation.

 

 

What will you be serving with your Thanksgiving dinner? Do you have a favorite seasonal cocktail?

 



Online Recipes Tested - Jalapeno Popper Dip

Now that I have discovered the crack that is Pinterest, I have found some fun new recipes that require trying. Of course I will ultimately pin about 1000% more recipes than I can ever hope to make but the ones that I do make will receive a write up here. Since the Super Bowl was last weekend, it only seems appropriate to start with my contribution to that gluttonous evening.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

(Note: The above link goes to the site and original recipe. The recipe below includes my alterations.)

Dip

2 8oz packages cream cheese (reduced fat), room temperature

1 cup light mayonnaise

1 cup light Mexican cheese blend, shredded

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1 4oz can green chilies, diced

1 4oz can diced jalapenos or 4 fresh jalapenos, seeded & finely diced (I used four large fresh jalapenos and this had good heat but wasn't too hot. Add more it pump up the heat.)

Topping

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1/4 cup light butter, melted

1. Mix the dip ingredients together and spread into a greased pie pan or 2 quart baking dish (I used cooking spray to grease the dish).

2. Mix topping ingredients until even consistency is reached.

3. Cover dip with topping being sure to cover evenly.

4. Bake dip in a 375 degree pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes. Dip is done when top is brown and dip is bubbling. (Note: I was cooking this in an older oven with other items and it took much longer than 20 minutes to cook. I recommend checking it at 20 minutes and go with your instincts from there. Also, the center of my batch was not quite as bubbly as the exteriors so be sure to check that area before removing from the oven.)

5. Serve with crackers, baguette or chips. I used a baked blue corn chip from Trader Joe's and it was fantastic.

So my overall review of this dish was that it was fantastic! Can you tell that I couldn't wait to try it - didn't even get the photo off first! It was really easy to make though cutting up the jalapenos did stretch out the prep time. I would still use the fresh over the canned or jarred for that fresh popper flavor. This dip was a huge hit and I don't think that lightening the calories up took anything away from the flavor. I highly recommend this dip for any party but particularly anything sports related.

Have you tried this recipe? Please let me know what you think!

Product Placement Wednesday - Amazon Wish List

With this being the last Product Placement Wednesday before Christmas, I thought it was appropriate to go with a "gift" theme. Unfortunately it is too late for this product to help you and your friends & family this holiday season but there is always next year!

Amazon.com Universal Wish List

Amazon.com has an amazing feature - the Universal Wish List. This allows you to create a wish list from the many amazing items on the Amazon site as well as add items from other sites as well. The key to adding the non-Amazon items is the "Universal Wish List Button" that adds to your toolbar with a simple download. This allows you to keep yourself organized as to things you might like and helps your friends and family figure out exactly what to get you for all of the gift giving holidays. You can set up as many wish lists as you like and also decide if you would like to make them public or keep them private. The benefit of keeping the list private is that you can keep track of items you might like for redecorating a room, etc. It is a great companion in that regard to Pinterest. Though Pinterest allows you to dream big (in ground trampoline for the backyard) I tend to keep my Amazon list a little more realistic.

As I mentioned in my previous post "You Shouldn't Have! - A Guide to Gifting," this is a great idea to share with your friends and family and help make the holidays more fun and less stressful! Still not convinced about the wish list? Hopefully this previous entry will still help you give amazing gifts!

I would love to hear from you about the best and the worst gifts you've ever received. Remember you don't have to be a registered user to comment and you can be anonymous if you prefer!

Happy Holidays!

Product Placement Wednesday - NoStik Toaster Bag

Sticking with the cheese theme of the past few Wednesdays, let me just say that I love grilled cheese. However, I find it difficult to make the perfect grilled cheese on my stove. It just seems that the burners are too hot so the bread toasts quickly but the cheese doesn't melt quickly enough. Toaster ovens are a great way to make grilled cheese but there just is not enough counter space for one in my home. I recently saw a photo on Pinterest about how you can use your toaster to make grilled cheese but honestly it just looked like a hot mess. That brings me to this week's product...

NoStik Toaster Bags

NoStik Toaster Bags are not only perfect for making grilled cheese but can be used for a variety of delicious grilled sandwiches or just about anything you can fit in the toaster. The only caveat is that the bag can't touch the actual heating elements of the toaster or a hole will form. Since the bags are reusable, you want to make sure that does not happen!

When I first heard about these bags, all I could think was "Mmm... grilled cheese". Turns out that these bags are also perfect when you have a member of your household with a gluten allergy. These bags will keep the gluten free bread protected from cross contamination from regular bread - even if you are just making regular toast.

The easiest place to find these bags? Amazon.com

Product Placement Wednesday - Pinterest

I was a little late to the social media scene. I skipped Friendster and MySpace. I was dragged onto Facebook kicking and screaming. I don’t Tweet (except for a brief spell where it was required by a former employer). Now I have discovered a social media site that is truly for me. It is my new crack like addiction and I must share it with you.

Pinterest

If you are anything like me, you bookmark lots of ideas – things to buy, recipes, great websites, etc. Many times it seems so silly to bookmark just one item. Also, if you are gathering a number of items for a project, your list of bookmarks can quickly become cumbersome. Wouldn’t it be easier to have everything in one place and to be able to quickly glance at the photos without having to bring up an entire site? That is exactly what Pinterest allows you to do. You are basically creating an online bulletin board of ideas. You can start as many boards as you want (currently I’m at 5 boards) in order to break down your ideas but subject. The options are limitless – home décor, food & drink, art, diy & crafts, sports and travel are just a few of the many categories in which your boards may fall.

You are likely wondering how this site is a “social media” site. Beyond the fun of just setting up your own boards, you can “follow” (like Twitter) your friends and get new ideas from their boards. You can also look on the main boards (sorted by subject) at the most popular and newest posts. What do you do when you see something fabulous that you would like to add to your own boards? You “repin” and the idea is yours forever!

Personally I have found that the main boards are the most addictive and have found some amazing ideas. Of course the more you post to your own boards, the more you will get out of it!

You have to request to become a member or be invited by a member to join. It took about 48 hours from the time I requested to become a member until I was given a password. It might be faster if you are invited by a member. That being said, if you want to get on this crack too just drop me a line and I’ll invite you right away!