Black-Jack Chicken Quesadillas

This is a great appetizer or a quick dinner with a spicy/sweet flavor combination.  

Black-Jack Chicken Quesadillas

1/3 cup blackberry preserves
1 chipotle from canned chipotles in adobo, pressed in a garlic press or chopped (with seeds removed)
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (or Trader Joe's sells frozen cubes of cilantro- use 3-4)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cut into small chunks or shredded
1/2 cup diced onions
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 (6 inch) flour or corn tortillas

In a medium saucepan, whisk together blackberry preserves, chipotle in adobo, balsamic vinegar, cilantro, garlic and black pepper. Turn heat to medium and heat just until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat. Add chicken to saucepan and toss to coat chicken in berry mixture. Toss onions and cheese together.
If using flour tortillas, spoon 2 tablespoons cheese/onion mixture evenly down center of each tortilla. Spoon chicken and berry mixture over cheese, dividing equally among tortillas. Fold tortillas over to make quesadillas.
If using corn tortillas, spread berry chicken mixture on one corn tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons cheese/onion mixture, leaving room at the edges for the mixture to spread. Top with another corn tortilla and carefully transfer to pan (sometimes it's easier to build the quesadilla in the pan).
Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle to medium and cook quesadillas for 3-4 minutes each time or until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown. Cut each tortilla with a pizza cutter into triangles.

Gluten-Free Buffalo Chicken Dip

Someone in an GF online group asked for a appetizer recipe and I can't believe I've never posted this since I've made it probably 10 times.  It's not a GF recipe, but by purchasing the appropriate brands of ingredients, it's easily converted to GF.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 8 oz brick of cream cheese - I used the 1/3 less fat version
1/2 cup blue cheese dressing - I used reduced fat Kraft
1/3 to 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 cups preferred shredded cheese, divided (cheddar, monterey jack, whatever)
2 cups cooked, cubed (or shredded) chicken breast (can even used canned if in a pinch)
Bleu cheese, if desired (check for gluten- some brands ARE gf)

I almost always make this in a small crockpot and to be honest, I don't really measure anything.  I just dump everything in together (except some reserved cheese) and turn on the crock.  After things start to get melty, I stir it up to mix everything.  Grab a chip or a clean spoon and taste it - you may want to add more buffalo sauce or dressing.  Once it's all melted and mix and you're ready to serve, top it off with the extra cheese.  If you're adding bleu cheese, you can either stir it in when mixing, or add it to the top before serving. 
Serve with tortilla chips and celery and/or carrots.  Even people who don't think they really like bleu cheese like this. 

Spinach Cheese Balls

I made these gluten-free for a 4th of July party this year and they were good - even though I overbaked them slightly.  I did mix them up a couple of days ahead and froze until the day of the party.  I served these with pizza sauce.  As always, if you are making my recipes gluten-free, make sure you purchase the appropriate ingredients! 

Spinach Cheese Balls1 box (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain

1 cup Bisquick® mix (gluten free, if desired)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
1 egg
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup GF pizza or pasta sauce for dipping, if desired

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix all ingredients, except pasta sauce. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheet.2 Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve with pasta sauce.
Do-Ahead:
Cover and freeze unbaked balls up to 1 month. Heat oven to 350ºF. Place frozen balls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brown.

Pizza Fondue

This pizza fondue is great party food served with bread sticks, toasted garlic bread rounds, croackers, or tortilla chips. Feel free to stir in other pizza toppings such as black olives or chopped banana peppers.

Creamy Pizza Fondue

1/2 pound ground beef or ground sausage
1 Small onion -- chopped
1/2 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil
2 cans (10 oz.) pizza sauce (check for gluten)
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2 teaspoons Dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
1-2 cups Shredded Cheddar cheese -- (about 10 ounces)
1 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese -- (about 4 ounces)
Cut up pepperoni, if desired (check for gluten)
Chopped mushroom, if desired

In a large frying pan, cook ground beef and onion in butter over medium heat, stirring to break up lumps of meat, until beef is browned and onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine pizza sauce, cornstarch, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir until well mixed. Add to ground beef mixture in pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and bubbles, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add cheese, a third at a time, stirring well after each addition. Transfer to a chafing dish, fondue pot, or small crockpot for serving.

Praline-Crowned Brie

This is one of my favorite appetizers to take to a party/holiday. It goes great with wine. Trader Joe's usually has good prices on brie. Sometimes I just buy the wedge and use that instead of a round of brie - it doesn't look as fancy though. While the white rind is edible, it makes it harder to scoop, so I just carefully scrape most of the rind off of the top with a knife. I've been asked to bring this to gatherings several different times.

Praline-Crowned Brie

1 15-ounce round Brie cheese (I usually buy a wedge from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Place Brie on a pie plate, scrape white rind off top of round or wedge if desired. Cover with nuts. Pat brown sugar over nuts. Drizzle with maple syrup. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till sugar is lightly golden and Brie is warm, but not runny. If desired, garnish with some fresh strawberries. Serve the warm Brie immediately with crackers, french bread rounds, or GF crackers. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Pull Apart Bacon Bread

Pull-Apart Bacon Bread is a great appetizer or snack. I like to have pizza sauce for dipping, or just spice up some tomato sauce. The small sized can is about the right size, as the bread has plenty of flavor on its own.

Pull-Apart Bacon Bread
12 slices bacon, diced
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Pizza sauce for dipping

In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked; drain on paper towels. Roll out dough to 1/2-in. thickness; brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cut into 1-in. pieces; place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil; toss to coat. Arrange pieces in a 9-in. x 5-in. oval on a greased baking sheet, layering as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Wraps

My sister gave me this recipe and I've made it several times. It's good as an appetizer, but I sometimes make it when we need just a little something to eat instead of a full meal. I'll take a picture next time and post it because it was hard for me to visualize what they'd look like before I made them the first time.


Sweet & Sour Chicken Wraps

1 cup chopped chicken (I've used canned before, drained)
2 T. chopped green onion
1 T. crushed pineapple (can use more, drain it a bit first)
2 T. honey
1 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. mustard
1 can crescent dinner rolls
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375. Combine chicken, green onions and pineapple in small bowl, mix well. In another small bowl, combine honey, soy, and mustard; blend well. Pour over chicken mixture; stir to coat. Pull out 1/2 dough and lay out. Press two triangles together in center, then cut in 1/2 to make two squares. Spoon chicken into each square, pull corners together and seal. Brush w/ eggs, sprinkle w/seeds. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes or golden brown.

Cal 170, Prot 8g, Carbs 16g, Fat 8g

Thanks, Summy

Honey-Chipotle Pecans (or Almonds)

These are quite possibly my favorite way to eat almonds. The problem is, I can’t make these very often because I can’t. stop. eating them when they are around. People LOVE these…I take these to events when I am too busy (lazy) to make something more involved and people tend to like them more than anything else I’d bring (except maybe these, because they involve chocolate, and chocolate usually wins). They are super simple and quick to make, but you’ll want an hour or so to let them cool/dry when they are finished so they don’t stick together.
If you don’t have chipotle powder, get it SOON! World Market sells it with their bagged spices for around $1.00. Buy a reusable glass spice jar in their kitchen section for another dollar and you are all set (I cut the spice name from the spice package and tape it to the jar with clear tape). If you haven’t noticed, many of the recipes that I post have it as an ingredient. I may have an addiction…

Honey-Chipotle Pecans (or Almonds)

2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons dried chipotle powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups pecan halves (or almonds)
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a skillet or pan, warm honey with chipotle powder and cinnamon over low heat, then add the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and spread nuts evenly in a single layer on the sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes – you should start to be able to smell the nuttiness, but don’t let them burn. Allow to cool slightly (1 minute). While they are in the oven, combine sugar and salt in a mixing bowl large enough to hold and stir the nuts. Add the warm pecans or almonds and toss to coat evenly. Spread out on fresh sheet of waxed paper and let dry completely. Store in an airtight container.

These are a perfect fall/football snack.

Cajun Deviled Eggs

Most people loved deviled eggs. Spicy people will love these! If your friends and family are very spicy, take addition cajun seasoning to sprinkle on top.

**If you are taking deviled eggs to a gathering and you don't have one of those fancy egg holders, after you slice the eggs, toss the yolk and other filling ingredients into a ziploc bag (squeeze to combine), put the egg halves together and place back into the egg carton. When you get to where you are going, place the eggs on a plate, snip off a corner of the ziploc bag and squeeze the filling into the halves.

Cajun Deviled Eggs
6 large, hard-cooked eggs, peeled
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (reduced fat works fine)
½ teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning, divided (check for gluten)
extra seasoning, paprika, or fresh parsley for sprinkling

Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Mix yolks, mayo, and seasoning in a bowl until well-combined. Pipe or spoon filling into egg whites. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving. Place eggs on a serving platter and sprinkle with seasoning or parsley.

Cinco de Mayo recipe - Salsa Roll-ups

This is an easy, relatively healthy appetizer that requires no cooking. You may want to double this recipe for more than 5 people. Change up the spices if you prefer (taco seasoning would be good) and add some finely chopped red pepper if you'd like. Serve "as is" or with salsa and/or guacamole.

Salsa Roll-Ups

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. salsa
4 Flour Tortillas (I used (3) 8 inch whole wheat tortillas)
1/2 cup Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese (or preferred cheese)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. chili powder

Mix cream cheese, salsa, and chili powder; spread onto tortillas. Top with cheese. ROll up tortillas tightly. Cut each crosswise into 5 slices.
**Make Ahead - Prepare roll-ups as directed, but do not cut into slices. Tightly wrap each roll-up in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 4 hours. Slice just before serving.