Creamy Sausage Dip {with skinny option}

Kim

Sausage is like crack. It rivals the beloved bacon. They each have their own special place in my meat-loving, nitrate infused world. In other words, I love sausage. I don’t eat it often, because let’s face it, it’s not a health food…BUT, let’s make an exception for this dip. It’s a great appie and should make any sausage loving person very happy. Oh, and it has cream cheese in it. And we know cream cheese makes errything a little mo’betta.

This dip goes by many names: sausage dip, cream cheese sausage dip, Rotel Sausage Dip, etc. Since I was out of Rotel when I made this, I’m just calling it Creamy Sausage Dip! I used salsa in the place of the Rotel, and it wasn’t as spicy as I like, but still delicious. I’ve been making this for years, and originally got the recipe from my cousin. There are variations all over the net, but this is my verison.

Creamy Sausage Dip

1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled (and drained if needed) *hot or mild

1 can Tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups salsa, drained

2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese (1 also works, will just be thicker, as pictured)

Mix cooked sausage and cream cheese in a pot over medium heat. Stir often until cream cheese has mostly melted. Add Rotel or salsa. Stir to combine and continue to heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is warm throughout. Dip can be placed (or prepared) in a crock pot to keep warm while being served.

Serve with chips, crackers, pita crisps, etc.

Want your Creamy Sausage Dip to be a little more waistline friendly?

Skinny Creamy Sausage Dip

1 lb. turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled (buy it or make it)

1 can Rotel Tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups salsa, drained

1 or 2 (8 oz) package(s) fat free cream cheese

Prepare as above.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips, or store bought baked tortilla chips. It’s still not a health food, but a little more figure friendly! ‘Cuz everyone wants to eat party food…dieting or not!

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Reese’s Peanut Butter ‘Better than Football’ Cake

Kim

Okay, it’s not really called ‘Better than Football’ Cake. It’s really called Better than S-e-x Cake. Why? I’m not sure. Is it good? Oh yeah. Is it better than you-know-what? We won’t go there.

There is lots of talk about football food right now in preparation for the “big game”. However, as yummy as Buffalo Chicken Dip is….you gotta have dessert. Let me repeat – You GOTTA have dessert! And this one is a winner.

If you are a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, then you should love this cake. My daughter chose this as her birthday cake this year. We knew it would be hard to top last year’s Kit Kat cake, but she really wanted to give it a shot! (Which, by the way, the Kit Kat cake would be a fun treat for the Super Bowl as well…especially made with team colors.)

Reese’s Peanut Butter Better Than Sex Cake

Prepared chocolate cake (baked in a 9×13 pan)
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (regular, low fat or fat free)
1 jar hot fudge sauce (11-14 oz, depending on brand used)
1/4 cup peanut butter + 3 Tablespoons (divided)
1 container of or 8 oz Cool Whip
8 oz bag Reese’s Minis, chopped
10 oz bag Reese’s Pieces Candy

*After preparing your favorite chocolate cake, cool completely.

*Once cool, poke holes evenly over the cake. The end of a wooden spoon is good for this. I space mine about 2 inches apart.

*Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk evenly over top of the cake.
*Mix the hot fudge sauce and 1/4 cup peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until well blended then evenly spread over the cake.

*Mix together the remaining 3 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the TruWhip/Cool Whip. This can be done with a mixer or by hand. Spread over the hot fudge sauce.
*Chill cake for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

*When ready to serve, cover with the chopped Reese’s Mini Peanut Butter Cups and the Reese’s Pieces.

Recipe Source:

Enjoy! Because it’s fabulous. I was going to say something cheesy like it’s orgasmic. You know, since it’s BTS cake and all. But that would just be silly. Only fresh baked chocolate chip cookies can do that. lol

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Oven Baked Tacos

Kim

I saw this idea floating around Pinterest and it seemed like a really good idea for my family of five. I think it would be great to have a large dish of tacos ready for the taking on Super Bowl Sunday too! At my house, it allows everyone to sit down at the same time on taco night instead of waiting for each person to fill their taco with meat, get their cheese AND preparing tacos like this eliminates the worry that the meat and cheese is going to run out! I can evenly divide everything and heat the shells all at the same time.

Once heated, you can add the toppings or you can let everyone add their own. I usually add the lettuce (and mix in a little spinach) to the whole dish (after heating), since that’s about all my kids will eat on their tacos.

But I like to add extra sauce, sour cream (or plain yogurt) and cilantro to mine.

My little man loves some tacos! He was shoveling it in with both hands.

There is no real recipe to this, just prepare your taco meat/filling as you normally would. Then add the meat to the taco shells. Line the shells up in a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese is nice and melted.

It comes in handy when feeding a crowd…or just 3 hungry kids!

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Buffalo Chicken Dip

Kim

Are you ready for some football?! Yeah, whatever. Any excuse to make party food is reason enough for me to get excited! I like the Super Bowl for the commercials, half time performances, and as I said…the food. Buffalo Chicken Dip is probably going to make an appearance on many a table on game day. Because it’s AWESOME. It’s creamy, spicy, cheesy and I could (and sometimes do) make a meal of it!

Okay, so it’s not the prettiest thing in the world. Especially with my non-photography skillzzzz. But it’s super yummy all the same. Here, take a bite.

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:16]

Recipe source:

If you are a buffalo chicken fan, you might also want to check out:

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Buffalo Chicken Chili

What will you be eating on Super Bowl Sunday?

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No-Bake Chocolate Pie

Kim

So…it’s the later part of January. How are those resolutions going? I know most of us are trying to get our healthy on, but it doesn’t stop our brain from telling us to EAT CHOCOLATE does it? I crave chocolate on a pretty regular basis, and have been pretty creative in coming up with ways to satisfy those cravings without using a days allowance of points. (Weight Watcher talk) This Chocolate Pie is a delicious way to satisfy cravings, without totally breaking the calorie bank.

This recipe came from Mr. Brown. Alton Brown that is. It was pretty awesome. You would never know the main ingredient was tofu. I was calling this ‘Special Ingredient Chocolate Pie‘…but then I saw the movie ‘The Help’ based on a comment a reader made. So, I decided a new name was in order!

No-Bake Chocolate Pie

1 bag (13 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (store bought or )
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound silken tofu, drained
1 tablespoon honey
1 (9-inch) prepared chocolate wafer crust (I used chocolate graham cracker but Oreo would have been better!)

Place about an inch of water in the bottom of a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
Melt the chocolate chips, coffee liqueur and vanilla in a medium metal bowl set over the simmering water, stirring frequently with a rubber or silicone spatula.
Blend the tofu, melted chocolate and honey in a blender or food processor until smooth (about a minute)
Pour the filling into prepared pie crust and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set.

Source: Alton Brown’s

You will be amazed at how unhealthy this chocolate pie tastes. And I’m pretty sure no one will be able to guess the special ingredient!

If interested in other special ingredient desserts, you might want to check out my Biscoff Cookie Dough Dip, Deep Dish Cookie Pie, or Double Dark Chocolate Cookie Balls!

Apple Cider Bread Pudding

Kim

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m over winter. I do not like to be cold, and baby, it’s cold outside! Uncharacteristically cold temps for eastern NC…we are not used to getting down into the teens. Even crazier, it’s going from 60’s to the teens in a matter of 24 hours. Weird.

Anyway, ’tis the weather to drink warm apple cider. Or cook with it. This was my first experience making bread pudding, so I wasn’t sure what to expect (I had only eaten it once before too.) But ya know how I am, I like to make random things that I’m not sure if anyone will eat. (My grocery budget has limited some of that, so now you know yet another reason I do sponsored posts!) However, this Apple Cider Bread Pudding seemed like a good thing to try, and I had all of the ingredients already on hand. This is another great way to “re-purpose” leftovers, in this case stale bread, too.

This bread pudding has a very similar texture to a french toast casserole that has soaked overnight. You know, that spongy, eggy, wet bread texture. If you like that, then you’re golden. If you have texture issues…then this may not be for you. Or me. I loved the flavor, but couldn’t really handle the texture, but being as it is bread pudding, I’m not sure what I was expecting. Sometimes I’m a dork. *Update – I have since made Pecan Pie Bread Pudding, and it’s not spongy or soggy. It was phenomenal! I’m thinking a different bread may decrease the sogginess factor in this recipe.*

Apple Cider Bread Pudding

8 cups stale bread (cubed) – I used leftovers of various breads!
4 large eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
1 cup apple cider

*can also add raisins, nuts, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.
Put bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Add the milk and apple cider. Whisk until combined.
Pour egg mixture over the bread and stir until all the bread is moistened.
Pour into the prepared baking dish and let sit for 15 minutes, gently pushing the bread down into the custard mixture.
Bake 40-50 minutes or until set.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe from

It’s tasty with a little maple syrup over top, or maybe a drizzle of caramel sauce? You could also do a sprinkle of powdered sugar. My kids think everything is better with powdered sugar!

Salmon Cakes

Kim

If you are looking to get more Omega-3’s into your diet, want a low-carb/high protein meal or just like salmon, then this Southern dish may be for you. I can remember my Grandma frying up salmon cakes and cornbread, and my mom makes them too. I’ve been carrying on the tradition and have made them a few times over the years.

They may not be the prettiest things, but they are quick and easy, and I am trying to get more fish into my family’s diet. It’s not easy when the only fish they usually want is in the form of fish sticks! I’ve cut back on the flour used in my mom’s recipe to make this very low carb (for my diabetic husband) and I’ve found that it’s not really necessary, as everything binds together well. Sometimes I add a small amount of seasoned breadcrumbs in place of the flour, and that gives them a little added flavor. Tiffany over at adds corn meal to hers, and I am definitely trying that next time. I almost always have cornbread as a side to salman cakes, so I don’t know why I’ve never thought of this!

Salmon Cakes

1 (15 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup diced onion (or more to taste)

1/8 cup seasoned bread crumbs or flour (or cornmeal!)

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (optional)

salt and pepper – to taste

1 T. olive oil for skillet

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add salmon, removing any large bones.*
Add eggs, onion, bread crumbs (or flour), and Old Bay Seasoning.
Mix thoroughly.
Shape into patties and pan fry over medium heat in olive oil.
Cook patties until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

*If you have never opened a can of Salmon, beware…it’s kinda gross looking and has bones in it. Just pull out the large spine running down the center, and don’t worry about all the little ones. I know it sounds disgusting, but they just disintegrate when everything is mixed up and cooked. Yeah….so I know everyone will be rushing to make these now! But I wanted to forewarn any newbies b/c I found it shocking the first time and had to call my mommy 🙂

The patties can be served with cocktail or tartar sauce if desired. Or ketchup, if you are like my children! And as I said, I usually have cornbread with it…check here and here for a baked and fried version.

Have you ever made salmon cakes?

‘Fried’ Biscuits

Kim

I’m really making an effort to use up leftovers. I’ve been bad about sticking all the leftovers in the fridge, just to throw them out a few days later. I hate being so wasteful! It was actually a resolution I made for myself last year, and I think I’ve done pretty good at sticking to it. Just the other day I posted the Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, which was a great way to use leftover chicken, turkey or ham! Guilty!

Today, I have a way to ‘re-purpose’ those leftover biscuits. Now, granted, we don’t get too many leftover biscuits in this house, because my kids love some bread products. They came by it honest!

My mom used to do this frequently when I was growing up, and I loved them! I mean really, bread is good, but fried bread?! Holy cow.

Now that I’m older and we know that frying is bad (boo!) I usually just “fry” mine in a skillet with Pam cooking spray. Or sometimes a little butta.

Fried Biscuits

Leftover biscuits, cut in half (horizontally)

Pam cooking spray or butter…or if you are really going all out, bacon grease!

Heat skillet over medium to medium high heat, spray with Pam (or add butter or grease) and place biscuits cut side down. Gently press down with a spatula while the biscuits are cooking. It just takes a few minutes to lightly brown the biscuits, then flip and brown the other side.

Top biscuits with butter, jam or apple butter!

You will be hoping to have leftover biscuits from now on 🙂 What’s your favorite way to use up leftovers?

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Kim

Y’all know I love my casseroles, and this Chicken Cordon Bleu is great for ‘repurposing’ those leftovers. Got leftover chicken? Leftover turkey? Ham? You can use any and all of them in this casserole! I cooked a turkey for New Year’s Day dinner. Not just any turkey, but a 15 lb turkey. And it was just the 5 of us…4 considering my son ate about one ounce of turkey. So…needless to say, there were leftovers. I knew I needed to come up with some creative ways of using it up, b/c my kids wouldn’t go for the usual ‘turkey hash’ or turkey sandwiches. I decided on this casserole, and just swapped the chicken for the turkey.

My family didn’t even realize I pulled a switcher-roo. They enjoyed the casserole, and I was able to repurpose some leftovers!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

l lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (or 2-3 cups chopped turkey)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I used Campbell’s Healthy Request)

1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard (I was out, so used 1 tsp mustard powder)
2 cups chopped ham

6 slices Swiss Cheese

2 cups cubed stuffing mix

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Mix soup and mustard powder in medium bowl; stir in chicken and ham.
Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray;
Top with cheese and sprinkle with stuffing mix. (Alternately, stuffing can be prepared and placed on top to bake)
Bake 35 to 40 min. or until heated through. Cover with aluminum foil the last 10 minutes if it starts to brown to much.

recipe adapted from

What do you do with leftovers? Do you have super picky kids to feed? I can’t say anything, I pretty much despise eating leftovers myself, so whenever I can turn them into a completely different dish it’s a good thing.