Appetizers

Pimiento Cheese

September 13, 2018 by laurenpacek 2 Comments

Pimiento Cheese is an iconic Southern dish. And it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. I mean, how could a combination of cheeses, mayo, and mild peppers be a bad thing?

It can’t.

In addition to being flat out delicious, you can do a number of things with pimiento cheese. Spread it on bread and make a grilled cheese! I’d also recommend slathering it on a hamburger in lieu of a slice of cheese (trust). It’s also really great when eaten as a dip. Just grab your favorite crackers, veggies, or whatever and dip away!

PS – for all the haters who might question how I’ve spelled Pimiento Cheese (coughMollycough), I would like to refer you to this article from Southern Living. 😉

5 from 1 vote

Pimiento Cheese

Prep Time

15 mins

Chill time

1 hr

Course: Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine: American

Servings: 3 cups

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

16 oz cheddar cheese, freshly grated (see notes)
8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pimientos, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Using a hand mixer (or stand mixer), cream the cheese, cream cheese, and mayonnaise together until completely combined.
Add the pimientos, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and stir until combined.
Refrigerate, covered, for about an hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

Notes: Two notes about the cheese:

I used 8 oz of mild cheddar and 8 oz of sharp cheddar
I think that it's important to freshly shred/grate your own cheese versus using the pre-shredded bagged stuff. It tastes better, has a better texture, and is cheaper!

Classic Deviled Eggs

April 3, 2018 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

I wasn’t sure that I could love deviled eggs any more than I already did. Seriously, though. They’re savory, salty, and zingy (thanks vinegar and mustard!). All in all, a pretty delicious two-bite snack.

BUT THEN I discovered that you can make hard boiled eggs in the pressure cooker! It’s not like making them on the stovetop is particularly difficult, but doing it in the pressure cooker is even easier and they’re guaranteed to come out perfect every time.

I’m always on the lookout for new ways in which I can use my pressure cooker. Typically I’m using it for meaty applications (see my Pressure Cooker Carnitas and Pressure Cooker Green Chicken Chili), but these eggs came out so well.

This is a classic, basic deviled eggs recipe. Deviled egg purists, look no further.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Servings: 6

Author: laurenpacek

Ingredients

6 eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
¼ tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
paprika, for garnish

Instructions

To cook the eggs in an electric pressure cooker

Fill the pressure cooker insert with ½ to 1 inch of water (check your manual regarding the minimum recommended amount of water). Place the steamer basket in the insert. The water level should be below the steamer basket.
Place the eggs on the steamer basket in an even layer. Seal the lid and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure.
Allow the pressure cooker to release naturally for 5 minutes. After that, do a quick pressure release.
Carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Change the water out with cold water as needed until the eggs have cooled. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

To cook the eggs on the stovetop

Place the eggs in a saucepan in a single layer and cover them with enough water that there is 1 inch of water above the eggs.
Heat on high until water begins to boil then remove the saucepan from heat, cover, and leave the pan sit for 14 minutes.
Carefully transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Change the water out with cold water as needed until the eggs have cooled. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the deviled eggs

Peel the eggs. Slice the eggs in half, remove the yolks to a fine mesh strainer, and set the whites on a platter.
Push the yolks through the strainer with a spatula into a medium-sized bowl. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Stir to combine.
Spoon the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Dust with paprika and serve.

Recipe Notes

Note: Instead of spooning the yolk mixture into the egg whites, you could also use a piping bag and tip.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

February 19, 2018 by laurenpacek 3 Comments

Call it what you want: Buffalo Chicken Dip, Crack Dip… You know it and love it.

You all know this dip. It’s a classic. You’ll find it at many parties (certainly at most of mine!), and for good reason. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

It can be fairly versatile, too. If you’re a pescatarian, consider subbing in cooked, chopped shrimp for the chicken. Vegetarian? Omit the chicken/shrimp entirely. Gluten-free? Switch up the dippers to meet your needs.

Need more buffalo chicken action? Hop on over to my Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken recipe! You can do a lot with it (pizza, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, etc.), and it couldn’t be easier to make. It’s a definite favorite in my house!

5 from 1 vote

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

Course: Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine: American

Author: laurenpacek

Ingredients

8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 1 oz. packet Ranch seasoning
1 lb cooked chicken breasts, shredded
vegetables, pitas, crackers, chips, etc. for dipping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, Greek yogurt/sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and Ranch seasoning. Stir in the cooked chicken.
Pour the dip into an oven safe dish, and top with some more cheese. Bake for approximately an hour.

Recipe Notes

Note: You can also use a proportional amount of canned chicken or rotisserie chicken

Funfetti Cake Dip

December 16, 2016 by laurenpacek 4 Comments

This Funfetti Cake Dip is sweet, fun, and couldn’t be easier to whip up.

You know Funfetti, right? In case you don’t… Basically, it’s white cake with a butt ton of sprinkles swirled into the batter. When baked, the sprinkles look like confetti. And we all know that confetti = a party. Ideally the frosting is covered in sprinkles, too.

I’ve been bringing this dip to parties lately, and it’s consistently a hit. It tastes just like Funfetti cake, but in the form of sweet, fluffy dip. I actually took this batch to a friend’s house last weekend, which explains the disposable pie plate in the photos.

One really nice thing about this dip is that it’s not that terrible for you, if you ignore the entire box of cake mix that goes into it. I like to think that the fat-free yogurt and whipped topping count for something. This recipe is also easily made gluten free by using GF Funfetti cake mix (found in most grocery stores) and GF treats for dipping.

ALSO! You can totally customize this dip for holiday celebrations. Wanna make it for your Christmas celebrations? Top with red and green sprinkles. I’m going to be making this on Christmas Day, when family comes over to my parents’ house in the evening.

Need more Funfetti action? Check out these Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes!

I originally found this recipe on the blog Eat Yourself Skinny.

Funfetti Cake Dip

Prep Time

10 mins

chilling in fridge

4 hrs

Course: Appetizer, Dip

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 cups

Ingredients

For the dip

1 box Funfetti cake mix
2 cups plain fat-free yogurt
8 oz Lite Cool Whip
3/4 cup sprinkles, divided

For dipping

Nilla wafers
pretzels
graham crackers
animal crackers

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, yogurt, Cool Whip, and 1/2 cup of the sprinkles together until everything is combined. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of sprinkles.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Serve with Nilla wafers, pretzels, graham crackers, animal crackers, etc. for dipping.

Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts – Updated!

December 22, 2014 by laurenpacek 7 Comments

Here’s another quick, easy, and totally delicious idea for your holiday table. They’re great for keeping on hand when unexpected guests may stop by. They’re also great for just keeping on hand to enjoy by yourself =)

A word of warning: you may find yourself eating these candied nuts until you are sick. It just can’t be helped.

I blogged about these nuts a couple of years ago; My original post on candied nuts can be found here.

You’ll need:

1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
generous pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg white
1 tbs water
1 lb unsalted nut of choice

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg white and water until the egg white is frothy, but not stiff. Add the nuts and toss to coat.

Add the spices to the nuts and toss it all around until everything is evenly coated in the sugar and spices.

Bake for 30 minutes, stopping to toss everything around at the 15 minute mark. Remove the nuts from the oven and break them apart as they cool. Try to not eat the entire thing in one sitting.

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Feta Hand Pies

October 5, 2014 by laurenpacek 7 Comments

I was invited to a pie-themed potluck party recently. When trying to decide what I wanted to contribute, I kept a few things in mind: 1) The hostess is a vegetarian; 2) Something savory would lessen the chances of us ending up with several pumpkin pies; and 3) Cute food is almost always good.

Enter: the hand pie.

You’ll need:

cooking spray
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3 tbs olive oil, divided
spices of your choice (I used salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder)
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
1/2 cup water or broth of choice
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup feta cheese
pie crust dough of your choosing (I cheated and used store-bought!)
2 eggs, beaten
kosher salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Set aside.

Put the peeled and cubed butternut squash in a large zip top bag. Add 2 tbs olive oil and spices. Zip the bag shut and toss the contents around until all of the squash pieces are evenly coated. Divide the squash onto the two prepared baking sheets, spreading it into an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes, toss everything around, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender and cooked through.

In a large skillet, add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until just fragrant. Add the kale and stir to coat the greens with the garlicky oil. Cook uncovered for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water/broth and cover the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the kale has begun to wilt down. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the butternut squash is cooked, add it to the pan of kale, along with the feta cheese. Stir everything together. Take a taste, and adjust your seasonings accordingly.

Remove the foil from the baking sheets, and line the sheets (or different baking sheets) with parchment paper.

Using whatever pie dough you choose, use a cookie cutter or water glass to cut circles of dough (2 per hand pie). I used a circle that was about 3.5 inches in diameter. Place circles of dough for the bottom half of the hand pies onto the baking sheets. I was able to fit 6 per baking sheet. Place 2-3 tbs of the squash/kale/feta filling on the middle of each circle of dough. You want to have a decent amount of filling in each hand pie, but also want to make sure that you’ll be able to seal everything closed without filling spilling out. Top each with another circle of dough to make the top of the hand pie.

Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges of the dough (see the picture below). This will help to seal the pies shut.

Brush the tops of the hand pies with the beaten egg. This will help to ensure that the hand pies get brown and crispy. Sprinkle each hand pie with kosher salt. Cut a small slit or two into the top of each pie to allow steam to escape.

Bake your pies according to the directions for whatever pie dough you’ve used. I baked mine at 400 for 20ish minutes to get them to be golden-brown.

They are delicious right out of the oven and piping hot, as well as at room temperature.

Turkey Taco Wonton Cups

February 11, 2014 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

These Turkey Taco Wonton Cups are great party food. They’re delicious and perfectly portioned.

Honestly, who doesn’t love tacos? I’d argue that they are a perfect food.

You’ve seen me share taco goodness on this blog before. Check out my Roasted Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple Salsa, Salmon BLT Tacos, and Three Ingredient Slow Cooker Taco Chicken, for instance.

These Turkey Taco Wonton Cups take all of the flavors and (most of the) ingredients in an (Americanized) taco, and scales things down. These wonton cups can be eaten easily with one hand and consumed in two bites!

Turkey Taco Wonton Cups

Prep Time

15 mins

Total Time

15 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings: 36 wonton cups

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz taco seasoning
3/4 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
36 wonton wrappers
1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions begin to become translucent.
Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, crumbling while doing so.
Add the taco seasoning and stir until all of the meat is coated.
Add the cream cheese and stir until it has melted. Add the salsa and shredded cheddar, stir to combine, and turn the heat down to low.
While the taco filling simmers, press the wonton wrappers into a mini muffin tin. Spray them lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Spoon a bit of the taco mixture into each of the cups and top with a bit more cheese. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Top with a dollop of sour cream and some green onions.

Don’t forget about these Shrimp Wonton Cups! They’re pretty great, too.

Brownie Batter Dip

February 3, 2014 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

So, last night’s Super Bowl was … less than gripping? Let’s face it: it was a blowout. Which is great if you’re a Seahawks fan, and really awful if you were rooting for the Broncos. For the rest of us who had no real emotional stake in the game, it wasn’t terribly exciting. Even though the game wasn’t riveting, the food was pretty darn good. Here’s one of the dips that I served last night to some friends.

I found this recipe on the blog Something Swanky.

You’ll need:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
5 tbs all purpose flour
5 tbs cocoa powder
3 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbs milk, divided
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.

Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and 1 tbs milk. Beat again until it’s relatively smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and beat again, starting out on low so that the sugar doesn’t fly out of the bowl and get everywhere. Add another tbs of milk. If you feel like the dip is still too thick, you can add the last tbs of milk.

Add the mini chocolate chips. Serve in a bowl, topped with a few more chocolate chips.

You can eat this with whatever you want: graham crackers, apples, etc. I followed Something Swanky’s lead and used pretzel chips, which were awesome with this.

Buffalo Ranch Cheese Ball

October 22, 2013 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

This Buffalo Ranch Cheese Ball is a tasty, easy, make-ahead appetizer. Add more or less hot sauce to make it as spicy as you’d like.

I recently read a Food & Wine article called “Give Cheese Balls a Chance.” In it, the author talks about how cheese balls are viewed as being dated and pretty much straight out of the 1970s.

To be honest, I didn’t realize that they had garnered this reputation. My lack of awareness of the kitschy nature of cheese balls (coupled with my unabashed love of making and eating them) probably speaks to how uncool I am.

In spite of all this, she also talks about the various positive qualities of the cheese ball.

For starters, they’re delicious! They’re also endlessly versatile. You can use whatever mixture of cheeses you’re into, plus whatever mix-ins you’d like. And then there’s the coating. For this buffalo ranch cheese ball, I used nuts and chives, but don’t forget about bacon or even something like everything bagel seasoning. You can also spread a cheese ball on crackers, vegetables, you name it.

What I’m saying is, in light of all of its merits, let’s bring the cheese ball back. Let’s make it cool again.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll probably be into Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken and Buffalo Chicken Dip, too!

Buffalo Ranch Cheese Ball

Prep Time

15 mins

chill time

2 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 15 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24 servings

Author: Lauren Pacek

Ingredients

For the cheese ball

16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 oz ranch seasoning, 1 packet
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbs fresh chives, minced and divided
2-4 tbs hot sauce
1 cup pecans, finely chopped

For serving

crackers
vegetables

Instructions

In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add the ranch seasoning, shredded cheddar, 1 tbs of fresh chives, and 2 tbs of hot sauce. Mix until well combined.
Taste and add additional hot sauce if desired.
Dollop the cheese mixture onto a length of plastic wrap. Shape it into a ball, wrap it in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Spread the chopped pecans and remaining 1 tbs chives onto a plate. Roll the cheese ball it around on the chopped pecans and chives until the entire ball is covered.
Wrap the cheese ball in the plastic wrap and refrigerate again for at least an hour before eating.
Serve with crackers and or vegetables.

Caprese Salad Skewers

May 12, 2013 by laurenpacek 1 Comment

I made these cute little skewers for my cousin’s bridal shower this past weekend. They’re very easy to make, and are quite tasty. I’ve seen these all over Pinterest, so I can’t attribute this to any one site/blog in particular.

You’ll need:

grape tomatoes
fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks approximately the same size as the tomatoes
basil leaves
toothpicks/skewers/etc.
optional: pesto, balsamic vinegar, balsamic vinaigrette (for drizzling or dipping)

All you need to do is skewer the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil onto your toothpicks/whatever you’re using in any order and quantity that you’d like.

You can drizzle them with some pesto or balsamic vinaigrette if you’d like, or just provide some for dipping. Or let the little skewers go naked! Whatever you feel like.