Category Archives: Appetizers

Appetizers

I’m Back in Action!

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So, it has been a little over a year since I have posted any new recipes, and I have to say, I have definitely missed it.

The past year of my life has been a series of changes, some of them good, some of them bad; I became the child of a split family at age 29, found out my role-model, my granny, has Alzheimer’s disease, moved three times, found out a life-long friend/old roommate got engaged via facebook :-(, started a new career, got a German Shepard puppy, and the list goes on. At times, I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity or sadness and drift to a place that was not conducive to my health and happiness or the health and happiness of anyone that was around me. Sometimes, we have to hit that proverbial “rock-bottom” before we can see all of the blessings and good things that surround us everyday. I am not sure which point was my “rock-bottom” (there were multiple times that could be up for consideration) but I hit it. Luckily, I was humbled by each negative or positive experience I encountered and found a way to grow as a person. Fast-forward to a year later, I am a stronger, happier and mentally healthier person than I have been in years.

I know what you are thinking, “I thought this is supposed to be a blog about Tara creating new recipes…not a blog about Tara and her trials and tribulations??” And you are 100% correct…this IS a blog about me creating new recipes. However, we all go through circumstances that may change the course of our lives, it is just how we choose to handle those circumstances that makes the difference. That is why I felt compelled to share a bit of private information about myself. We all need an outlet, whether it is working out, reading a book, or having a glass of wine after a long day of work…We. All. Need. An. Outlet. For me, my outlet is cooking. Cooking allows my brain to breathe and de-stress in a way that nothing else does. So without further ado, what you all have been waiting for is on the way…New Recipes!

“We are all visitors with a set plan and once that plan is complete, we become complete.”
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Appetizers

Carlee’s Pizza

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“You gotta try this!!” are the words I hear Miss Carlee Jackson say as she eats the pizza she and her daddy made.  And I must say, if you are looking for an easy dinner to make with your kids, you gotta try this!

8 oz can crescent rolls 16 pepperoni slices 1/4 c Havarti cheese, shredded 3/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded 3-5 tbsp Momma Mary's Gourmet Traditional Pizza Sauce 3 tbsp flour 1 pc parchment paper *rolling pin Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat parchment paper and rolling pin with flour. Combine all of the crescent rolls together in to a ball of dough. Knead the dough with your hands on the parchment paper, slowly spreading it out into a small circle. Using the rolling pin (or your hands), continue pressing down on the dough until you have a crust for the pizza. Coat the crust with Momma Mary's Gourmet Traditional pizza sauce. Top the pizza sauce with mozzarella cheese. Add pepperoni slices to the top of the mozzarella cheese. Once pizza is covered with pepperoni slices, add the Havarti cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes. **It took about 20 minutes or more for our pizza crust to brown.
8 oz can crescent rolls
16 pepperoni slices
1/4 c Havarti cheese, shredded
3/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
3-5 tbsp Momma Mary’s Gourmet Traditional Pizza Sauce
3 tbsp flour
1 pc parchment paper
*rolling pin
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Coat parchment paper and rolling pin with flour. Combine all of the crescent rolls together in to a ball of dough. Knead the dough with your hands on the parchment paper, slowly spreading it out into a small circle. Using the rolling pin (or your hands), continue pressing down on the dough until you have a crust for the pizza.
Coat the crust with Momma Mary’s Gourmet Traditional pizza sauce. Top the pizza sauce with mozzarella cheese. Add pepperoni slices to the top of the mozzarella cheese. Once pizza is covered with pepperoni slices, add the Havarti cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes. **It took about 20 minutes or more for our pizza crust to brown.

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Appetizers

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

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I PROMISE this is the last recipe containing Hillshire farm smokies, but I also promise, I saved the easiest and BEST for last 🙂

Bacon Wrapped Smokies: 10 slices of center cut bacon 30 Hillshire farm smokies 30 toothpicks Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the each slice of bacon into thirds/3 equal squares. Using once square of bacon, wrap it around once smokie and secure with a toothpick. Complete this process until all pieces of bacon and smokies are used. Place the bacon wrapped smokies on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the smokies over and cook for another 15 minutes. Yes...That simple...That easy....and sooooo delicious. **I made a "honey-mustard" sauce to go with ours. I use the term honey-mustard very, VERY loosely, as I do not like a really sweet honey-mustard and Chris does not like a lot of mustard. The recipe for the "honey-mustard" is listed below.** Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce: 3 tbsp Mayonnaise 1 tbsp mustard 1 tsp honey 1.5 tsp chili powder Mix all ingredients together until sauce is well blended. I must say, these measurements may not be exact because I kept adding mayonnaise and chili powder to dilute the honey. For this, use your best judgement...AKA...your own tastebuds :)
Bacon Wrapped Smokies:
10 slices of center cut bacon
30 Hillshire farm smokies
30 toothpicks
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the each slice of bacon into thirds/3 equal squares. Using one square of bacon, wrap it around a smokie and secure with a toothpick. Complete this process until all pieces of bacon and smokies are used. Place the bacon wrapped smokies on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the smokies over and cook for another 15 minutes. Yes…That simple…That easy….and sooooo delicious.
**I made a “honey-mustard” sauce to go with ours. I use the term honey-mustard very, VERY loosely, as I do not like a really sweet honey-mustard and Chris does not like a lot of mustard. The recipe for the “honey-mustard” is listed below.**
Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce:
3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp honey
1.5 tsp chili powder
Mix all ingredients together until sauce is well blended. I must say, these measurements may not be exact because I kept adding mayonnaise and chili powder to dilute the honey. For this, use your best judgement…AKA…your own taste buds 🙂

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Appetizers

Sweet and Savory Kabobs

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This past summer, I spent a lot of time experimenting with different foods on the grill.  One of my favorites, as well as many of my friends, was a kabob that contained slices of beef kielbasa and cubed golden delicious apples finished with a slice of havarti cheese.  I know…grilled apple?!  Sounds odd but it is oddly delicious.  Anyway, this got me to thinking; what can I make as an appetizer for Christmas that will bring us the nostalgia of Summer?  The answer, miniature BAKED kabobs with smokies, golden delicious apples, and havarti cheese.  The results=deliciousness in your mouth.

2 medium, golden delicious apples 1 package of Hillshire farm smokies 10 wooden kabobs, halved 1 tbsp parsley 1 fresh twig of rosemary salt and pepper *spray butter *roasting pan Soak the wooden kabobs (halved) in water for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the golden delicious apples into cubes (you don't want them too small, as they will soften up too much and become mushy). Cube the havarti cheese as well. Kabob Assembly: This is pretty much at your own discretion, but I put a smokie, an apple cube, and another smokie. ***Cheese needs to be left off until the very end. Once all kabobs have been assembled, you can place them in the roasting pan that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. After all kabobs are in the pan, spray them with butter or top with olive oil (I like the flavor the spray butter gives the apples). Once you have coated them, top with the parsley, salt, pepper, and spread the rosemary (whole) on top of the kabobs (the rosemary will be removed when the kabobs need flipped). After the kabobs are seasoned, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes has passed, flip the kabobs and cook for another 10-15 minutes. ***Chris and I added the havarti cubes to the kabobs to "warm" but the cheese ended up COMPLETELY melting, which ended up being even better (in our opinion). If you decide to do this, make sure you are using a non-stick pan and let the cheese melt just enough to top the kabobs. If you don't want to worry about the cheese burning, just add it to the kabobs after they have been cooked for 30-35 minutes; it will still be good :)
2 medium, golden delicious apples
1 package of Hillshire farm smokies
10 wooden kabobs, halved
1 tbsp parsley
1 fresh twig of rosemary
salt and pepper
*spray butter
*roasting pan
Soak the wooden kabobs (halved) in water for 10-15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut the golden delicious apples into cubes (you don’t want them too small, as they will soften up too much and become mushy). Cube the havarti cheese as well.
Kabob Assembly:
This is pretty much at your own discretion, but I put a smokie, an apple cube, and another smokie. ***Cheese needs to be left off until the very end. Once all kabobs have been assembled, you can place them in the roasting pan that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. After all kabobs are in the pan, spray them with butter or top with olive oil (I like the flavor the spray butter gives the apples). Once you have coated them, top with the parsley, salt, pepper, and spread the rosemary (whole) on top of the kabobs (the rosemary will be removed when the kabobs need flipped). After the kabobs are seasoned, pop them in the oven for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes has passed, flip the kabobs and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
***Chris and I added the havarti cubes to the kabobs to “warm” but the cheese ended up COMPLETELY melting, which ended up being even better (in our opinion). If you decide to do this, make sure you are using a non-stick pan and let the cheese melt just enough to top the kabobs. If you don’t want to worry about the cheese burning, just add it to the kabobs after they have been cooked for 30-35 minutes; it will still be good 🙂

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Appetizers

Pigs in a blanket with a Christmas Twist

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Growing up, one of my favorite “finger-foods” at Christmas parties were pigs in a blanket.  I mean, who can resist little weenies wrapped in crescent rolls!?

I hope you enjoy my twist on a classic, holiday snack.

1 8oz pack of crescent rolls 1 13 oz pack of Hillshire, beef smokies 1 red pepper *1 tsp garlic salt *parmesan cheese *salt and pepper *parsley Preheat oven to 375 degrees. The pack of crescent rolls comes in 8 triangles; we are going to cut each triangle into 4 small triangles, making 32 small triangles. **I sprinkle the dough with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper before I add the smokies.** Take one smokie, place at the bottom of a triangle, and roll up until you can press the dough together creating the "pig in a blanket". Continue this process until all triangles have been used. Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes (it took mine about 16 minutes to brown). Red Pepper Bow: Hollow out a red pepper removing all seeds. Cut the pepper into a shape of a bow. I used the top of the bell pepper to create the "bow" part and middle "flat" part of the pepper to create the "ribbon". I also roasted the red pepper because it can be cut and eaten with the pigs in a blanket. To do this, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the red pepper in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft you want the pepper. To assemble the bow, I used toothpicks. :) It is a lot easier than it looks. Assembly: Line a round plate with the pigs in a blanket and top with the roasted red pepper bow.
1 8oz pack of crescent rolls
1 13 oz pack of Hillshire, beef smokies
1 red pepper
*1 tsp garlic salt
*parmesan cheese
*salt and pepper
*parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. The pack of crescent rolls comes in 8 triangles; we are going to cut each triangle into 4 small triangles, making 32 small triangles. **I sprinkle the dough with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper before I add the smokies.** Take one smokie, place at the bottom of a triangle, and roll up until you can press the dough together creating the “pig in a blanket”. Continue this process until all triangles have been used. Bake on a non-stick cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes (it took mine about 16 minutes to brown).
Red Pepper Bow:
Hollow out a red pepper removing all seeds. Cut the pepper into a shape of a bow. I used the top of the bell pepper to create the “bow” part and middle “flat” part of the pepper to create the “ribbon”. I also roasted the red pepper because it can be cut and eaten with the pigs in a blanket. To do this, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat the red pepper in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft you want the pepper. To assemble the bow, I used toothpicks. 🙂 It is a lot easier than it looks.
Assembly:
Line a round plate with the pigs in a blanket and top with the roasted red pepper bow.

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Appetizers

Baked Kernel Corn

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This is an easy, healthy snack to make for friends to munch on at your next party!

1 15 oz can, sweet, whole corn 1 tsp olive oil 1/2 tsp garlic salt salt and pepper to taste **This is the first time I made this and learned that the corn needs to be strained and left out to dry for at least an hour if you are using can corn.** Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, add corn, olive oil, garlic salt, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Spread seasoned corn out on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until corn has browned. **Make sure to stir corn every 10 minutes because it burns easily.**
1 15 oz can, sweet, whole corn
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
**This is the first time I made this and learned that the corn needs to be strained and left out to dry for at least an hour if you are using can corn.**
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, add corn, olive oil, garlic salt, salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Spread seasoned corn out on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until corn has browned. **Make sure to stir corn every 10 minutes because it burns easily.**

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Appetizers

Mini, Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

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1/2 lb ground turkey 1 egg 1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded 1/4 c plain, bread crumbs 1/3 c teriyaki sauce salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients until they are blended. My hands are small, so I don't have an issue making mini-meatballs. However, if you do not have small hands, you can use a tablespoon to gauge the amount of mixture to make them "mini". Place the meatballs on a non-stick cookie sheet or pan as you make them. Once all meatballs are made, cook for about 20-25 minutes or until browned, flipping them once after 10 minutes. **I like my meatballs to have a "crusty" outside, so I fry them in a pan before I bake them. Also, I use Kikkoman brand teriyaki in the mix, as well as, the sauce for dipping.**
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 c plain, bread crumbs
1/3 c teriyaki sauce
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all of the ingredients until they are blended. My hands are small, so I don’t have an issue making mini-meatballs. However, if you do not have small hands, you can use a tablespoon to gauge the amount of mixture to make them “mini”. Place the meatballs on a non-stick cookie sheet or pan as you make them. Once all meatballs are made, cook for about 20-25 minutes or until browned, flipping them once after 10 minutes.
**I like my meatballs to have a “crusty” outside, so I fry them in a pan before I bake them. Also, I use Kikkoman brand teriyaki in the mix, as well as, the sauce for dipping.**

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Appetizers

Crockpot Cheese Dip with ground Turkey

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1/2 lb ground turkey, browned 16 oz velveeta, cubed 10 oz Rottelle Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Add cubed velveeta and rottelle to crockpot and set temperature on medium-high to melt the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, add the browned turkey and set temperature on low. Yup!! :-) That's it!! (Brown turkey in a pan before adding. **Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, .5 tsp red pepper, .5 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic, salt and pepper and brown. Approximately 8-10 minutes.)
1/2 lb ground turkey, browned
16 oz velveeta, cubed
10 oz Rottelle
Spray crockpot with non-stick spray. Add cubed velveeta and rottelle to crockpot and set temperature on medium-high to melt the cheese. Once the cheese has melted, add the browned turkey and set temperature on low.
Yup!! 🙂 That’s it!!
(Brown turkey in a pan before adding. **Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, .5 tsp red pepper, .5 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic, salt and pepper and brown. Approximately 8-10 minutes.)
Appetizers, Meat Entrees

Roasted and Stuffed Hash Bell Peppers

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Option Number 1: Stuffed Bell Peppers 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 2 tsp parsley salt and pepper olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a non stick baking pan (if you don't have one, use parchment paper-I like to use it because there is no worry of anything sticking) coat the bottom with olive oil. Place the halved, deseeded bell peppers on the baking pan. Put a little more olive oil on the bell peppers. You are going to coat each side with the parsley and salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and then cook for 10 more minutes on the other side. Once the peppers are thoroughly roasted, the hash stuffing can be added to each pepper. I topped my stuffed peppers with Sargento, 6 cheese italian and broiled the tops. And there you go! One idea for the Hash :) **Sausage Hash** 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Option Number 1:
Stuffed Bell Peppers
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 tsp parsley
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a non stick baking pan (if you don’t have one, use parchment paper-I like to use it because there is no worry of anything sticking) coat the bottom with olive oil. Place the halved, deseeded bell peppers on the baking pan. Put a little more olive oil on the bell peppers. You are going to coat each side with the parsley and salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and then cook for 10 more minutes on the other side.
Once the peppers are thoroughly roasted, the hash stuffing can be added to each pepper. I topped my stuffed peppers with Sargento, 6 cheese italian and broiled the tops. And there you go! One idea for the Hash 🙂
**Sausage Hash**
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

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Appetizers, Meat Entrees

Roasted and Stuffed Hash Zucchinni

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Option Number 3: Roasted and Stuffed Zucchinni 1 large zucchinni 1 c hash stuffing 3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese olive oil salt and pepper 2 tbsp parsley Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut zucchini in half and hollow out the inside (I just use a small spoon). Coat a non-stick pan with olive oil. Add the hollow zucchini to the pan, skin side up. Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, 1 tbsp of parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper. Flip the zucchini so it is now skin side up. Add 1 tbsp of parsley to skin and coat with a generous amount of salt and pepper (the skin should already be coated with olive oil). With the skin side still up, we want to roast the inside of the zucchini first. Cook for approximately 8 minutes; we don't want them to get to mushy, as we will need to add stuffing and cook for a little longer. Once the inside of the zucchini has been roasted (8 minutes), remove them from the oven. Flip them over so that they are now skin side down. Add the hash stuffing, top with cheese, and let bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has browned. **Sausage Hash** 1 lb fresh sausage 1 small, sweet onion, diced 1/2 c diced mushrooms 3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced) 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 tbsp parsley salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt) olive oil In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items...or to eat by itself!!!
Option Number 3:
Roasted and Stuffed Zucchinni
1 large zucchinni
1 c hash stuffing
3/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut zucchini in half and hollow out the inside (I just use a small spoon). Coat a non-stick pan with olive oil. Add the hollow zucchini to the pan, skin side up. Drizzle the zucchini with olive oil, 1 tbsp of parsley and generous amount of salt and pepper. Flip the zucchini so it is now skin side up. Add 1 tbsp of parsley to skin and coat with a generous amount of salt and pepper (the skin should already be coated with olive oil). With the skin side still up, we want to roast the inside of the zucchini first. Cook for approximately 8 minutes; we don’t want them to get to mushy, as we will need to add stuffing and cook for a little longer. Once the inside of the zucchini has been roasted (8 minutes), remove them from the oven. Flip them over so that they are now skin side down. Add the hash stuffing, top with cheese, and let bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese has browned.
**Sausage Hash**
1 lb fresh sausage
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1/2 c diced mushrooms
3 medium, white potatoes (boiled for 15 minutes and then diced)
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste (generous amount of pepper, light salt)
olive oil
In a large skillet, coat bottom with olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add diced sweet onion and let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add salt and pepper, minced garlic, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Continue to cook onions for about 5 more minutes. Add mushrooms and 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to pan with onions. Let the mushrooms and onions cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now, add the sausage, potatoes, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook sausage thoroughly. ***Once sausage has completely cooked, I lightly mashed the mixture to the bottom of the pan in order to get a light crust on the mix. And there you have it!!! One Hash mix that can be used as a stuffing for numerous items…or to eat by itself!!!

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