CIC: Cauliflower & Cheese

March 20, 2015March 19, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

Hey I made it! Talk about procrastination. I made my Crazy Ingredient Challenge dish yesterday during the little man’s naptime. I had to do this during naptime because it required the food processor and my little man absolutely hates it when we run the Ninja. I’m talking completely loses it with big ole alligator tears. We try taking him over to the machine and even let him help push the buttons, trying to prove that we are in control of the loud noise, but it’s not working. So, I prefer to wait to use it if I’m the only one home.

The ingredients that won the vote this month are Cauliflower and Cheese – any kind of cheese! I thought first of doing mashed cauliflower and potatoes with cream cheese. But we had mashed potatoes earlier this week. I really wanted to try a cauliflower crust pizza, but knew I wouldn’t have the time to get that done. (It’s still on my bucket list though.)

I have been keeping a bean dip in the fridge for my afternoon snacks, either hummus or black bean, and thought that’d be a great way to “sneak” cauliflower into the menu. The cheese I decided to use was Parmesan. This dip ended up reminding me of pizza (I now see how cauliflower works in place of crust) so I added some oregano to the mix, if I had sun-dried tomatoes that would’ve gone in too! Veggies are a perfect healthy dipper but pita chips or even whole grain tortilla chips work nicely too.

Cauliflower Bean Dip

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided use
1 can (15oz) great north beans (or any white bean), drained and rinsed
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
zest 1 Meyer lemon
juice 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Break cauliflower into florets, about 1″ in size. Place on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil. Bake 25 minutes, until lightly golden.
In a large food process, pulse beans, roasted cauliflower, cheese, zest and juice of the lemon, garlic, oregano, S+P, and up to 1/4 C water. Pulse until smooth. Season to taste with additional S+P if needed.

*This recipe is modified from Lauren at http://www.fromthelittleyellowkitchen.com/2012/02/22/roasted-cauliflower-white-bean-dip/*

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

An InLinkz Link-up

#10DaysofTailgate: Chile con Queso

September 29, 2014September 29, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

It’s Monday and it’s still #10DaysofTailgate hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. That means my #10DaysofTailgate post gets a Mexican Monday twist!

Okay, it’s not really Mexican. It’s actually far from being real Mexican. Queso is definitely an American Mexican appetizer. And this one uses processed cheese. But there is Chipotle involved.

Today’s dip features two of our wonderful #10DaysofTailgate sponsors: El Diablo Hot & Spicy Mustard and Bob’s Red Mill. Combine their products with Velveeta and you have a dip fit to make any tailgater happy.

Bob’s Red Mill provided us with a bag of their 13 Bean Soup Mix. With it, I made 13 bean chili to do a play on my mandatory tailgating dip. I even added El Diablo Chipotle Mustard to give it another depth of flavor – a tiny bit of heat and a mustardy bite of vinegar.

Chile con Queso

Ingredients for the chili:

1 1/2 C 13 Bean Soup Mix
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 C canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Steps for the chili:

Soften beans by boiling for five minutes. Remove from heat and soak at least one hour. Drain.
Cover beans with 5 C water and simmer until tender 2-3 hours.
Brown ground beef. Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent. Drain.
Add beef, tomatoes, chili powder, and S+P to the beans. Bring to a gentle boil and cook 50-60 minutes.

Ingredients for the Chile con Queso:

1 C chili (recommended recipe above)
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
5 tsp El Diablo Chipotle Mustard

Steps for the Chile con Queso:

In a saucepan heat up chili.
Melt in cheese.
Add mustard and stir until combined.
Keep warm in slow cooker. And serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more tailgating recipes today:

Starters
BBQ Sausage & Cheese Plate by The Spiffy Cookie
Vegified Hot “Wings” by Curious Cuisiniere
Fried Polenta Cakes with Grilled Tomato and Mozzarella Salad by Love and Confections
Smoky Karma Stovetop Beans by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mains

Kicking Karma Veggie Fajita Pizza by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Not Ketchup Cherry Chipotle Steak Tacos by Making Miracles

BBQ Chickpea Sliders with Apple Slaw by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili by The Pajama Chef

Beef Kabobs by A Day in the Life on the Farm

#10DaysofTailgate: Corn and Cheddar Dip

September 24, 2014August 31, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ 7 Comments

Today marks day five of #10DaysofTailgate hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla! Hopefully you followed yesterday even though I took a mini break from the event to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday. If you didn’t, follow this link to Camilla’s page to check out the wonderful tailgating displays from day four’s tailgating spread.

For my birthday this year we went to my parents’ lake house in Lake Geneva, WI. While we were there we had a huge “meet and greet” for the family to come on out to the lake and see the newest addition to the family, my son Wesley. The rain stayed away and we had a wonderful time in the backyard with food and drinks. A family tailgate, if you will!

One of my cousins brought a dip over that I’d never had before. It was a cold corn dip with shredded cheddar cheese. She told me the list of ingredients and I knew I would have to try and recreate it for #10DaysofTailgate. The ingredient list included cayenne pepper – but I knew that I would be spicing my dip up with a different secret weapon – Carrot Karma hot sauce by the Intensity Academy.

When I discovered that I’d be receiving a bottle of carrot based hot sauce, the first question out of my aunt’s mouth was “How do you make hot sauce of out carrots?!” I can’t answer that question, but I do know that the Intensity Academy uses all natural ingredients. Their philosophy is “Through the perfect karma of good foods, one meets the Perfect Guru, whose taste is intense.” The level of heat in this hot sauce is perfect, it’s mild enough for people afraid of spicy foods yet lends perfect flavor for that little somethin’ somethin’. And when people ask you, “What is that?” you’ll be able to surprise them with a reply of “carrot hot sauce!”

Corn and Cheddar Dip

Ingredients:

1 can (15.25 oz) Southwest Corn with Poblano and Red Peppers, drained
1 1/2 C shredded mild cheddar cheese
3 scallions, chopped
1/8 C mayonnaise
1/8 C sour cream
1 – 1 1/4 tsp Carrot Karma Hot Sauce (depending on your heat preference)
1/4 tsp salt

Steps:

In a large bowl gently stir together corn, cheese, and scallions.
In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, and salt. Add more hot sauce to taste.
Pour mayo mixture over corn mixture and gently mix until combined. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Remix dip to break it up before serving.
Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Thank you Michele for sponsoring our event.

Disclaimer: I was provided a bottle of Carrot Karma hot sauce through this event, however all opinions and statements are my own.

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more tailgating recipes today:

Starters

Sticky Mango Mustard Glazed Duck Meatballs by girlichef

Pretzel Sticks with Two Sauces by Eliot’s Eats

Cherry Chipotle BBQ Pork Nachos by The Spiffy Cookie

Duck Poppers by CafeTerra
Duck Bacon Pumpkin Soup by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Dips

Steakhouse Deviled Egg Dip by From Gate to Plate

Mains

Ultimate Bacon Burger by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Cincinnati Turkey Chili by The Pajama Chef

Smoky Date Pulled Pork by Curious Cuisiniere

Grilled Avocado with Melted Cheese & Karma Hot Sauce by Making Miracles

Sides

Just Ducky Baked Beans by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Sweets

Linebacker-Sized Chocolate Chip Cookies by Things I Make (for Dinner)

Rocky Ledge Bars by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Pear Poppy Snails {Birnen Mohn Schnecken} by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Game Night Cheese Die

January 5, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Last night we were invited to a game night with friends. We were asked to bring an appetizer.

There are plenty of easy to eat appetizers to choose from, but I wanted to “go all out” and bring a themed dish. Unfortunately I’m not creative enough to come up with my own clever idea so I turned to the trusty internet. Most recipes I found were desert related – domino brownies, rice krispie treat billiards balls, etc. And then there was this die, made from cheese!

I’ve had cheese balls in the past and thought that this was a winner. The trick to making a cube instead of a ball is having enough time for the cheese to harden in a loaf pan. And to create the white exterior you “frost” the cube with more cream cheese. Stud it with black olives and you have yourself a die! (Mine wasn’t anatomically correct, but no one seemed to mind.)

Cheese Spread Cube

Ingredients:

24 oz cream cheese, divided
2 C shredded Italian blend cheese
6 scallions, chopped
1 tbsp milk
sliced black olives for decorating

Steps:

Mix together 16 oz cream cheese with shredded cheese and scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place cheese in a plastic wrap lined loaf pan. Cover with more plastic wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of 8 hours. You can do this the night before your party too.
Remove cheese from the fridge and cut the loaf in half. Place one half on top of the other to create a cube. (Or make multiple smaller dice, whatever you decide.)
Beat remaining 8 oz of cream cheese with the milk until smooth. (It’ll play a mind trick on you, thinking it’s marshmallow fluff or frosting!)
As if you were frosting a cake, cover the die with the smooth cream cheese. Stud the 5 visible sides with olive slices.
Serve with crackers or bread.

*This recipe was modified from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cheese-spread-dice*

War Eagle Game Day

November 30, 2013September 1, 2016 ~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

A big part of Thanksgiving weekend is watching the Iron Bowl.

We gather around the TV, taking a break from Thanksgiving foods, to stuff our faces with game day dishes while watching the most stressful game of the season. This year I’m expecting a great game. The stakes our high this year – ESPN Game Day will be on The Plains, Alabama is ranked #1, Auburn is ranked #4, and a ticket to the SEC Championship Game is on the line.

Here are a few of the recipes that will be on the coffee table this year:

Football Game Day Dip

Ingredients:

1 lb Velveeta
1 can Rotel
1/2 lb ground beef

Steps:

Brown ground beef, drain fat.
Cube Velveeta and put in a microwavable dish. Stir in Rotel and beef.
Microwave for 2 minutes at a time, stirring. Once cheese is melted serve with Tostitos!

Shake ‘n’ Bake Buffalo Bites

Ingredients:

1 pkt Shake ‘n’ Bake
3 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bottle Frank’s Red Hot buffalo sauce (not hot sauce)

Steps:

Toss chicken in Shake ‘n’ Bake.
Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 375deg for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Toss cooked chicken in buffalo sauce. Serve with ranch dressing!

This year we’re experimenting with chicken wings instead! Baking them on a metal rack on a baking sheet at 425deg for 30min.

Cranberry Barbecue Turkey Sliders

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C cranberry sauce
1/2 C orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 C brown sugar
1/8 C honey
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
left over turkey, shredded
slider buns

Steps:

Bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
Pour sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender.
Toss turkey in barbecue sauce. Assemble slider sandwiches.

*This recipe is adapted from John at http://www.patiodaddiobbq.com/2011/11/cranberry-orange-bbq-sauce.html*

WAR EAGLE!

cranberry turkey sliders

UPDATE: We had so much food that the sliders weren’t made this year. I will be making them for the SEC Championship Game next weekend instead!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

November 9, 2013April 21, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Last week we were invited to a friend’s surprise birthday party. I knew I was going to bring something edible to the table, but had to decide on what that was going to be. I thought about doing my Corn and Black-Eyed Pea Dip but as it’s fall decided to go with something heartier.

I decided to do some recon on the birthday girl’s Pinterest boards and saw that she had posted a Buffalo Chicken Dip. I stopped searching there and decided on this recipe.

Every Christmas Eve my brother’s fiance’s family has a party. My future sister-in-law makes this dip every year and it’s a crowd favorite. Two years ago for Christmas she gave me a fantastic cooking gift basket filled with Giada DeLaurentiis products as well as a recipe box, including her Buffalo Chicken Dip.

Unfortunately this food post does not have a photograph to accompany it as I forgot to snap a picture before the party. We were running late and it completely slipped my mind. Next time I make it I’ll add it to this post.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

Approx 3 lb chicken, cooked and shredded (Kelli boils hers, I baked mine)
12 oz hot sauce (Kelli uses Crystal and so did I)
16 oz cream cheese
16 oz blue cheese dressing (I used Ranch)
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream cheese and dressing. Stir until the mixture is smooth and cream cheese is melted.
In a large bowl combine cooked chicken, hot sauce, and the cream cheese mixture. Pour into a casserole dish.
Cover the casserole with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and cheese is golden.

Soccer Game Day Dip

July 28, 2013August 24, 2015 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Dips are synonymous with watching sporting events on TV. This dip, even though I’m calling it “Soccer Game Day Dip”, is a great accompaniment to any yelling in front of the TV get-together.

So why am I signaling out soccer?

Gold Cup Final

Partially because we’re watching the CONCACAF Gold Cup final. Partially because my brother has a game day dip that we associate more closely with football games.

But mostly because I got this recipe from one of my husband’s soccer buddies. He brought it over one soccer game day. I was very hesitant to try it, especially once I found out what was in it! It’s not very pretty, and it’s far from gourmet. But don’t judge it yet.

This dip is cream cheese and canned chili. That’s it. I don’t like canned chili and my husband doesn’t like cream cheese – but we both gobble this one up. The best dipping vessels for this party dish are Frito Scoops.

If I’m trying to minimize the amount of dirty dishes I’ll heat the dip in the microwave. And if your serving dish is microwave safe – then that’s an exciting bonus!

Soccer Game Day Dip

Ingredients:

1 block cream cheese
1 can chili – whatever variety you prefer
1 bag Frito Scoops

Steps

Combine cream cheese and chili. This can be done one of two ways: A) Warm chili in a pot on the stove. Slowly add in the cream cheese until it’s melted. B) Put both cream cheese and chili in microwave safe bowl. Heat for 2 minutes. Stir. Heat for 1 minute. Stir. Heat another minute. Repeat until completely melted and hot.
Serve with Fritos Scoops.

Corn and Black-Eyed Peas Dip

July 14, 2013July 26, 2013 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Every Sunday after July 4th weekend my Dad’s family has a reunion picnic. Today is the 15th Annual Dominican Picnic in Chicago. Even after we moved to Florida we did our best to make it back up there to see all of our family. It would always be a two week vacation, split between Busia’s summer home in Lake Geneva, WI. As we got older and our schedules became more hectic, our Illinois-Wisconsin vacations got shorter and skipped a few years. Unfortunately, this year I am not up there – instead I’m battling this never-ending rain in the FL panhandle.

Last year I was very excited to bring my husband to Lake Geneva and Chicago. Lake Geneva is my favorite place to be and I was glad I could share a piece of my childhood with him – and better yet, he enjoyed it too! I also immersed him into my gigantic family at our reunion. Luckily he’s very outgoing! He spent about 45 minutes helping my uncle set up the volleyball net (why it took them that long I still don’t know!) and he taught cousins how to play Ultimate Frisbee. Give him a sport to play, and he’s happy!

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Stu, Mom, Me — Stuart, Mom, and Me at the Dominican Family Picnic 2012

We assign potluck dishes by letter of your last name – Mom (S) was a salad and I (E) was a fruit/vegetable. I bent the rules slightly and combined our assignments into a tailgating favorite of Corn and Black-Eyed Peas Dip. I can’t remember where I first got the recipe, but it’s become one of my go-to party dips over the past couple years. It’s super simple and nice and light for a hot day.

Corn and Black-Eyed Peas Dip

Ingredients

2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 cans sweet corn, drained
1-2 pts cherry tomatoes, quartered
2-3 avocados, diced
1 lime
1/4-1/2 red onion, diced
2 bottles zesty Italian dressing

Steps

In a large bowl combine all veggies. Squeeze lime over top to keep avocado from browning. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Add in dressing and mix to combine.
Tostitos Whole Grain Scoops are the best complimentary chip for this dip.

You can adjust the amount of avocado and tomato so suit your preferences, but they do make the dip beautiful! I’ve also tried the recipe using thawed frozen corn because I always have it in on hand, but I’ve found the canned corn works better.