This is the simplest appetizer – made extra cute with a few extra minutes of shaping. It’s also a huge crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t love cheddar and ranch?
I love entertaining during the winter. I’m not talking Christmas – I’m talking the doldrum months that start the year. Everyone seems extra excited to have something to do – which means a fun, themed get together is alwasy a highlight.
This igloo cheeseball is the perfect snack for a winter movie night or winter wonderland party!
What is your go-to summer appetizer? I feel like so many summer favorites are dips – and this is a beautiful change of pace! These bites are full of fresh flavors and a great balance of sweet and savory. They’re a perfect addition to the #FarmersMarketWeek lineup!
The special thing here is that the strawberries aren’t simple on top – they’re blended into the basil for an extra burst of sweetness!
I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who didn’t like nachos. Even the pickiest kids are usually totally cool with chips covered in cheese. Thus, nachos may just be the perfect dish to bring to a party – and a cookout is no different because they also can be made on the grill.
I love making a big, loaded up tray for our family for dinner, but a nacho bar would be such a fun idea for a cookout! You could set up all the ingredients separately and use loaf pans for individual servings. Write names on the foil covering to keep track of everyone’s custom orders!
Looking for small batch recipes this holiday? Or ways to use up leftovers? This appetizer nails both because not only is it perfectly sized for a single family, it also use up the one thing I always seem to have left over – cranberry sauce.
This dip is only 4 ingredients and is super easy to put together. It’s also a beautiful balance of creamy, sweet, and tangy and the beautiful color from the cranberries makes it look at home on any holiday table.
One of my highlights of summer is the availability of fresh, local produce. Between our CSA and local farmer’s market, we’ve had an abundance of seasonal fruits and veggies. This week, I’m sharing some of the things I’ve been cooking up as part of #FarmersMarketWeek.
My first recipe is a quick, no-cook salsa. Instead of tomatoes, the base of this is watermelon – making a perfect summery salsa with a touch of sweetness.
Have you ever tried garlic scapes? These curly, green shoots are the top of the garlic plant – and they taste just like garlic! The first time they showed up in our CSA share I had no idea what to do with them – now they’re something I look forward to every year.
One of my favorite uses for garlic scapes is this easy dip. It’s delicious, and only takes a few minutes to put together.
This post is sponsored by Melissa’s Produce. All opinions are my own.
I have so much fun with Halloween. My mom was always a big fan, and it’s totally rubbed off. The decorations are up, the kids are already wearing their Halloween shirts, and we are ready.
So, how appropriate is it that during this month, I’m participating in #FreakyFruitsFriday?
Haven’t finalized your Thanksgiving menu yet? Need to add another side dish? I’m sharing a roundup of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes to help you get your menu set!
Disclosure: This post is part of the Tresomega Nutrition Blogger Recipe Challenge. I received complimentary products to use in this post. All opinions are my own.
I have a plan for Christmas this year. Instead of doing the big ham dinner that involves being in the kitchen for hours, we’re just going to make a bunch of appetizers and spend the day hanging out. It sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
This is one of the dishes I’m planning to make. It’s filling enough that it could count as a meal, but it’s also something we can eat while lounging around the Christmas tree. It’s pretty much the prefect holiday bite: spaghetti smothered in a to-die-for alfredo sauce, topped off with a miniature meatball and some homemade tomato sauce. And some more cheese just for good measure. Are you drooling yet?
This recipe features Tresomega Gluten-Free Organic Quinoa Spaghetti. We have a few gluten-free family members so we’ve tried a bunch of gluten-free pastas and I can say that this is hands down the best one I’ve tried. My husband – who grew up in a very Italian family – admitted he wouldn’t have know it was gluten-free pasta if I hadn’t told him. Win!
For more recipe inspiration, you can visit them on Facebook and Twitter. You can purchase Tresomega products at: Tresomega.com. Sams.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com.
One Bite Spaghetti and Meatballs (a Kate’s Recipe Box original) Makes 3 dozen
1 box Tresomega Gluten-Free Organic Quinoa Spaghetti
1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 oz. cream cheese
5 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 tsp. garlic power
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
36 small meatballs – homemade or frozen
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese, for topping
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, combine the butter, whipping cream and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat – stirring frequently until all melted together. Stir in 2 minced garlic cloves, the garlic powder, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking frequently, until smooth. Add the parmesan and stir until melted. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes more.
Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a mini-muffin pan with non-stick spray.
Using a fork, twirl up some sauce-coated spaghetti and place in the well of a mini-muffin tin to form a little next of spaghetti. Press down slightly to pack and add more spaghetti if necessary. Repeat until all wells are filled.
Bake for 15 minutes.
While the spaghetti bakes, combine the remaining ingredients, except parmesan cheese, in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
When the spaghetti is done, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then use a spoon to scoop out the spaghetti bundles and place on a serving platter. Top each bundle with a meatball, 1-2 tsp. of sauce, and parmesan cheese, to taste.
Even though it’s October (and the weather is still feeling like August…), I’m starting to think about Thanksgiving. I know, I know, but I get to host this year and I’m pumped! We’re not sure if we’ll have a big crowd or just the four of us, so I’ve got several menus floating around in my head.
I knew this month’s Improv Challenge theme, Sugar and Spice, was perfect for trying out some of the recipes I’m considering. Sugar and spice is SO fall – apple spice, pumpkin spice – but I couldn’t get these nuts off my mind, so they won out.
This is such an easy recipe – the slow cooker makes it totally hands off. Just mix, let the slow cooker do it’s thing, then spread them out to cool. They were so good – and a perfect pre-Thanksgiving dinner snack!
1 1/2 cups almonds
2 cups pecans
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
Grease the crock of a slow cooker and add the nuts. Add the sugars and cinnamon and stir. Add the water and stir until everything is evenly combined and wet.
Cook on high for 3 hours.
Remove nuts to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool. Sprinkle with remaining seasonings. Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container.
You can check out the other Sugar and Spice themed recipes that bloggers made here:
