Cheddar Ranch Igloo Cheeseball

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!

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Baked Cranberry & White Cheddar Dip

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.

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Instant Pot Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Sized-down treats have been all the rage in my kitchen during the pandemic – fewer get togethers mean fewer mouths to feed – and I am so excited to share my current favorite! This cheesecake is the perfect size for a small celebration – and it’s made in the Instant Pot!

A creamy chocolate cheesecake is topped off with fluffy peanut butter frosting and dotted with mini chocolate chips. If you’re a cheesecake lover, you will just love this!

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Almond Apple Galette

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored in conjunction with Flavors of Fall Week . I received complimentary product from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Flavors of Fall Week recipes. All opinions are mine alone. 

What’s the last thing you did solely for yourself?

It’s a hard season for self care – especially since fall also means back-to-school for so many. It’s easy to get caught up in all the “to-dos” – I know I do.

Often, I’ll extend that in to blog projects. This galette? I made just for me. Just because I wanted to. And yes, I ate the whole thing myself.

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Bacon Wrapped BBQ Chicken with BBQ Dipping Sauce

Disclaimer: I recieved free product in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

What is it about kids and dip? I swear, when my kids see dip on the dinner table, they go all starry-eyed. I’ve been making it more of a point to make dips to go with our meals – it always means more enthusiastic eating for us!

When we got a chance to try out Bar-B-Que Beast’s sauces, I knew I wanted to make a dip – and this came out perfect! The cream cheese was the perfect balance to the sauce sauce – and a nice foil to the smoky bacon on the chicken!

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Cream Cheese Stuffed Everything Chicken

You know that everything-but-the-bagel seasoning that’s all the rage? I’d had it in my cabinet forever and finally broke it open one night when I was trying to throw together dinner last minute.

This chicken was the result, and the kids happily ate it and I patted myself on the back for a successful dinner and moved on.

The kids didn’t, though. They kept asking for it again. And again. And then one night, Jake asked, “Mom, don’t you want to blog this one?” So, here it is. If you like this one, you can thank Jake for kicking my butt into gear.

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Savory Cheddar Herb Cheesecake #ImprovCookingChallenge

Cheese and crackers are this month’s #ImprovCookingChallenge theme – and one of my favorite snacks. They’re the main ingredients in this appetizer – but they’re elevated to something perfect for a dinner party.

Savory Cheesecake 3

This savory take on cheesecake features a crust made of crushed crackers and three different kinds of cheeses.

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Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip

Gingerbread is my favorite holiday flavor. It may be because my German grandfather always sent us enormous batches of gingerbread cookies, but for me the flavors of gingerbread are just synonymous with the season.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip 1

This dip is the easiest gingerbread dessert you’ll find – no bake, and ready for company in 5 minutes.

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Apple Cakesicles

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #AppleWeek . I received complimentary product from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #AppleWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Apple spice cake. Cream cheese frosting. Dark Chocolate. All wrapped up in a portable treat. You’re welcome in advance.

Apple Cakesicles 3

I’m calling them cakesicles because they’re just too big to be cake pops. Hefty squares are like a slice of cake on a stick. Sure, you can totally make them into smaller pops – but one taste and you’ll understand why bigger is better.

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Grilled Doughnuts with Strawberry Basil Dip #BBQWeek

Guys, this is going to be my dessert of the summer. Ridiculously easy and so good, these are the perfect dessert for a barbecue.

Grilled Donuts 1

My kids pretty much dove into this. I mean, warm, sticky doughnuts with a cool strawberry-basil dip – what’s not to love?

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