Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

So, these are awesome! We love our taquitos around here, but these are better than the storebought ones for sure. They're simple, tasty, and way too easy to eat a million of them. --Mark

Ingredients

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese

1/4 C green salsa

1 T fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3 T chopped cilantro

2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1 C shredded pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas

kosher salt

cooking spray

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine well and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at at time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them, or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Notes

We use flour tortillas and they turn out well. Just add more than the 2-3 T of mixture in each tortilla, unless they are the small ones.

Pasteis de Bacalhau

Kate has always loved these, and we ate some fantastic pasteis in Belem, Portugal. She really wanted these for her birthday so I decided to learn how to make them. It was a success!  --Mark

Ingredients

10 ounces salted cod, preferably thick pieces
14 ounces russet potatoes, unpeeled
1 small onion, very finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 large eggs
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Instructions

Rinse the cod well to wash away some of the surface salt. Place it in a roomy bowl, cover it with cold water, and set aside, changing the water 4 to 5 times for a total of 12 hours (for very thin cuts) to 24 hours (for thicker cuts). Before cooking, taste a few strands to make sure it’s not overly salty, although it should retain some saltiness or the resulting cod cakes will be bland.

Boil the potatoes (preferably in their skins, so the potatoes don’t absorb water). Peel the potatoes and mash or sieve them. Set aside.

Meantime, simmer the cod in enough boiling water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the cod, discard the skin and bones, and flake the fish as much as you can with your fingers or a fork to reduce it to threads. (The proper way of doing this is to place the flaked cod inside a clean cloth, fold it and squeeze and pound the contents of the cloth with your fists. In this way you will have mashed cod.)

Mix the cod with the mashed potatoes and add the eggs, 1 by 1, and then the onion and parsley. Taste and, if desired, season with salt. You may not need to add any, as the cod itself retains quite a lot of saltiness, in spite of being soaked and boiled. The mixture should be quite stiff, enabling a spoon to stand up in it. If you find it excessively dry, add one or two tablespoons of milk. Allow this to cool completely before deep frying.

With two tablespoons, shape the fishcakes like large eggs and place in the hot oil (370°F/190°C), turning them three or four times to get nicely browned all over. When cooked, lift them with a big fork or slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper, to absorb excess fat. Go on molding and frying until you use up the mixture.

Notes:

https://leitesculinaria.com/7586/recipes-portuguese-salt-cod-fritters.html

This is another recipe that does really well in the deep fryer.

Kelewele

I found this recipe for our bookclub and it was a hit! I made it again for our family and even our banana-hating daughter loved these.   --Mark

Ingredients

4-6 ripe plantains with little black spots
1/4 onion cut in pieces
1 teaspoon Cayenne or chili pepper
1/2- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1-2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon lemon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bouillon powder or small bouillon Maggie cube (optional)
oil for deep frying

Instructions

Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain, cut only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.

Cut plantains in diagonal pieces and set aside.

Blend onions , ginger, garlic, in a blend or food processor, with just enough water to facilitate blending , then add cayenne pepper, lemon, nutmeg, salt and bouillon. Set aside

In a large bowl toss the plantain cubes and ginger spice mixture

Let it rest for about 10 to 20 minutes to absorb the flavor

Heat up a large skillet or cast iron with oil up to ½ inch- medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
Fry the plantain cubes in batches , turning once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Do not overcrowd the pan( it will cause the plantains to be soggy and absorb excess oil

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried plantains to pan lined with paper towels.Serve warm.

Notes:

We use our deep fryer and it works really well.

Salami Pickles

Stacy found these appetizers while searching for good foods for a Super Bowl gathering. We now know that they are great at book clubs, homeschool meetings, roundtable discussions, Amazing Race viewing, Tuesdays, Giants' World Series games, etc. Don't let anyone near the work area, though, because half of them won't make it to the serving plate! --Mark


Ingredients:

Genoa salami, thinly sliced
cream cheese, softened
baby dill pickles
toothpicks

Instructions:

Spread a small amount of cream cheese on the edge of a salami slice. Place a pickle on the cream cheese. Roll and secure with three toothpicks. Slice into thirds. Repeat for each slice of salami. Enjoy!

Notes:

If the baby dills are not small enough you may need to slice them in half or into spears. 

Brown Sugar Smokies

We don't even like bacon that much, and these are incredible! Pop one after the other at your own risk!  --Mark

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon
1 (16 oz.) package of Li'l Smokies
1 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
3. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brown-sugar-smokies/

Jalapeno Popper Wontons

Another New Year's delicacy! Well, maybe not a delicacy, but they were pretty awesome. Have you noticed that we like wonton wrappers?  --Mark

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
20 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
oil for deep frying

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and jalapeno peppers. Arrange wonton wrappers a few at a time on a clean dry surface. Set a cup or small bowl of water nearby. Place about a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Moisten your fingertip in the bowl of water and trace the edges of the wonton wrappers. Fold into triangles or follow directions on the package for desired shapes. This part can be done ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen.

2. Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). When hot, fry the wontons a few at a time until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with all of the wontons, then serve with the sweet chili sauce for dipping.


Notes:

We actually don't deep fry them. We put wrappers in mini muffin tins and then fill those. Bake them at 350 for 7 to 8 minutes and they are great.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jalapeno-popper-wontons/

Spicy Chicken Cilantro Wontons

This was a New Year's triumph! We've found that a lot of appetizers are made even more fantastic by putting them in a wonton wrapper!  --Mark

Ingredients:

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
3 stalks lemon grass, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 bulb garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 fresh red chile pepper, chopped
2 bunches fresh cilantro
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
50 wonton wrappers
vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine the chicken, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, chile pepper, cilantro, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pulse until thoroughly mixed and chicken is minced.

2. Separate all of the wonton wrappers, and lay them out on a clean surface. Set a bowl of water to the side to dip your fingers. Place about 1 teaspoon of the chicken mixture onto the center of each wrapper. Wet the edges by dipping your fingers in water, and wiping the edge of each wrapper. Fold over into triangles, and press to seal. Take the two opposing points of the triangle, and fold around to join together.

3. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or deep pan to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Deep-fry several wontons at a time, turning as needed, until lightly browned. Remove to drain on paper towels. Serve while hot.

Notes:

We actually don't deep fry them. We put wrappers in mini muffin tins and then fill those. Bake them at 350 for 7 to 8 minutes and they are great.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-chicken-and-cilantro-wontons/

Buffalo Chicken Dip

We ate this at a party and immediately (well, that same day) went looking for the recipe. We've made it for a few gatherings already, and even went out and got a small crock pot to serve it properly. The flavors blend even after cooking, so don't add any extra hot sauce unless you expect some serious heat. Trust me. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored crackers

Instructions:

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers.

Notes:

We find that Triscuts are the best crackers for this dip, but that's just us.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Dip/Detail.aspx

Won Ton Tacos

In the spirit of fusion cuisine, we found these and tried them for dinner. They are so good. Plus, ask Stacy how she feels about "fun" food. An instant classic. You can modify them so many ways, too. --Mark

Ingredients:

24 wonton wrappers
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (1.12 ounce) package Pace® Dry Taco Seasoning Mix
2 T Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups.

Cook beef in skillet until browned. Drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and picante sauce.
Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with salsa and cheese.

Bake about 8 minutes or until wontons are golden brown.

Serve immediately with additional salsa. Garnish with sour cream and sliced ripe olives if desired. Makes 24 appetizers.

Notes:

You can experiment, but we actually bake ours at around 350 degrees and they turn out well. Recently we did them with beans for a vegetarian appetizer. Once for our bookclub I made them with capicola ham and artichoke hearts, topped with mozarella cheese. Also, yum.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mini-Tacos/Detail.aspx

Cocktail Meatballs

Stacy was looking for a great appetizer to make for one of our homeschool group planning session. Now we use these as a go-to appetizer for Super Bowl parties, planning sessions, life, breakfast--well, maybe not breakfast, but just about any other reason is good. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
2 T water
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 T minced onion

1 (8 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup chili sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, and minced onion. Roll into small meatballs.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once.

In a slow cooker or large saucepan over low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. Add meatballs, and simmer for 1 hour before serving.

Notes:

Add a splash of soy sauce. Remember that the can of Cranberry sauce is 16 oz. Also, we usually cheat and use premade meatballs and then use this sauce recipe. It's all good.

Mini Ham and Cheese Rolls

Kate picked these little sandwiches as a compliment to our homemade clam chowder. She made an excellent suggestion. We made dinner rolls as well rather than use the pasty, bland, store-bought variety. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 T dried minced onion
1 T prepared mustard
2 T poppy seeds
1/2 cup butter, melted
24 dinner rolls
1/2 pound chopped ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl, combine onion flakes, mustard, poppy seeds and margarine.

Split each dinner roll. Make a sandwich of the ham and cheese and the dinner rolls. Arrange the sandwiches on a baking sheet. Drizzle the poppy seed mixture over the sandwiches.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Serve these sandwiches warm.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mini-Ham-And-Cheese-Rolls/Detail.aspx

Baked Brie with Caramelized Pears, Shallots and Thyme

There are a million variations on baked Brie so use this recipe as a "starter" and go from there. Baked Brie is best served straight out of the oven before it has a chance to solidify again. So yum. --Mark

Ingredients:

1 T butter

2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 pears - peeled, cored and sliced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8 ounce) round loaf sourdough bread
1 (8 ounce) round Brie cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Assorted crackers

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; cook and stir for 1 minute to soften. Add thinly sliced pears; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Pour in white wine, brown sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, and the pears have lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

3. Cut a Brie-sized hole in the top of the sourdough bread to within 1/2-inch of the bottom. Cut the removed bread into pieces for serving, set aside. Score the Brie around it's edge, using a paring knife to cut 1/4-inch deep. Cut in half by looping an 18-inch piece of very thin string, or unflavored dental floss around the scored Brie and pulling the ends in opposite directions.

4. Place the bottom half of the Brie, cut-side-up, into the sourdough loaf. Top with 1/2 of the pear mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 of the slivered almonds. Place the remaining brie half on top, spread with remaining pear mixture, and sprinkle with remaining slivered almonds. Place on a baking sheet.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until soft and gooey. Serve with sliced sourdough bread and crackers.

Notes:

I use this basic recipe to know how to do it and we add mango pieces and walnut pieces. Yum! Serve with crusty bread.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Brie-with-Caramelized-Pears-Shallots-and-Thyme/Detail.aspx

Shrimp Mozambique

This is one of our go-to appetizers. It is quick and easy to make and is incredibly delicious. Like most of our Portuguese recipes, it has that "inexact" feel, but it makes it that much easier to modify to your liking. Make a lot and enjoy! -Mark

Ingredients:

3 T butter

minced garlic

crushed red pepper

3 T olive oil

salt

2 lb shrimp

Directions:

Melt butter in a large frying pain or pot. Saute garlic and crushed red pepper. Add olive oil and continue to heat. Mix in shrimp and cook until done. Salt to taste.

Notes:

Don't forget the bread to sop up all the wonderful and delicious juice. The large (not jumbo) shrimp work the best, but medium shrimp aren't bad. You can use the precooked shrimp, but the overall flavor may not be quite as good. We recently tried this over pasta and it was wonderful.

Cheese Ball

Cheese balls are a holiday tradition at our house and this one has a simple taste and is addictive. We can pick at it all day long. We tend to leave the nuts off to make it easier to get at the cheese. Do what you will. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese

1 jar Old English Cheese spread (Kraft)

1 T minced onion

dash garlic powder

chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

Mix all and chill for a while. Form a ball, Crush walnuts and place on top. Serve with crackers.

Frozen Peaches

We can't even think of an Elizabeth meal without thinking of her frozen peach appetizer. We ate so many of these and never stopped liking them. We love having a supply in the freezer for a nice meal, or just because. --Mark

Ingredients:

peaches (firm, ripe)

sugar

Fruit Fresh

To serve: 7-Up

Instructions:

Scald peaches briefly and strip of skin. Slice them into a holding bath of water and fruit. For each bag combine 4 cups peaches, 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, and 1 T Fruit Fresh. Mix well and pour into a Ziploc. Freeze.

One hour before serving, pour 12 oz. 7-Up over peaches. Pour another 12 oz. just before serving. Mix well.

Stuffed Mushrooms

We pretty much made these up after eating loads of them at restaurants over the years. They are quick to whip up and go over quite well at a party. People have even asked if we were going to serve them at more than one party. And the great thing is that plenty of people don't like mushrooms so you can have more for yourself. Just don't tell your guests this. --Mark

Ingredients:

Mushrooms, stems removed

cream cheese

parsley

salt

garlic powder

mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions:

Mix cream cheese with the seasonings. Fill mushroom caps. Place close together in a greased baking pan or pie pan. Top with cheese. Cook at 350 until cheese is browned and mushrooms are cooked, about 20 minutes.

Notes:

The most important thing is not to undercook the mushrooms. Avoid the temptation to broil them right away--they'll end up being too crunchy. Also, I love to use an Italian blend of cheeses to really improve the flavor.

Taco Salad

Tim's taco salad is a great and easy meal to make. It also works well as an appetizer or serious snacking temptation sitting in your refrigerator. --Mark

Ingredients:

refried beans

1 pint sour cream

1 packet taco seasoning

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

shredded cheese

diced onions

chopped green onions

sliced olives

salsa

guacamole

tortilla chips

Instructions:

Spread beans on a large platter. Mix taco seasoning and sour cream. Layer over the beans. Spread guacamole on next layer. Cover with lettuce. Sprinkle tomatoes, olives, and onions. Cover with shredded cheese. Place spoonfuls of salsa around the salad. Serve with chips.

Notes:

Play with different ingredients until you find the exact right amount of everything.

Southern Stuffed Mushrooms

We needed a good Cajun appetizer for our book club that we could make rather quickly with things we had on hand. Other than 4 dozen mushrooms, this one fit the bill. Plus, it was quite delicious. --Mark

Ingredients:

48 mushrooms
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb sausage
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sour cream
3 T butter, melted
2 T onion, chopped
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Instructions:

Remove stalks from mushrooms. Reserve for another use. Brown sausage. Once sausage is browned, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fill each mushroom cap generously with the sausage mixture. Arranged mushrooms in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until top begins to brown

Notes:

We like using a spicy mustard like spicy brown or horseradish. If you can get hold of Andouille sausage that will give it an authentic Cajun flavor, but plain pork sausage or a spicy Italian sausage works just fine.

Spinach Ball H'ors D'oeuvres

These are a great appetizer that Pat Mecham, one of our book club members, brought. And, we've had them with dinner at her house. Then we made them at home. They are great and easy to make. Plus, they freeze well to be enjoyed later. --Mark

Ingredients:

2 10 oz. packages of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups bread stuffing mix (Pepperidge Farm Herb)
4 eggs, beaten
1 large onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 or 5 twists of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together and chill for several hours. Roll in to balls, and bake on greased baking sheet 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees. The spinach balls can be frozen after they have been formed to bake at a later time.

Chicken Crescents

I learned this recipe as a teenager from one of my youth group leaders, Jennifer Mello. It's easy, delicious, and is something we frequently made as newlyweds. See note for instructions on making these as appetizers. -- Stacy

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (salt, pepper, and garlic to taste)
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 package crescents
1/2 stick melted butter (optional)
breadcrumbs (optional)

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
chicken broth (or milk or gravy)

Instructions:

Boil, debone, and shred chicken. Mix with cream cheese. Roll out the crescents. Place 1T in the corner of each crescent and fold/roll into crescent shape. Roll in melted butter and breadcrumbs (this is optional -- we prefer skipping this step and eating them plain). Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes (check them). Serve with creamy sauce (mix the 2 ingredients) or serve with mustard.

Notes:

Because the inside of the crescents are creamy, we don't usually make the creamy sauce. We enjoy these with mustard. To serve these as appetizers, use a teaspoon rather than a Tablespoon and cut the rolled-out crescents in half the long way.