Ooey Gooey Cheese Dip & Homemade Tortilla Chips

This coming Sunday is the Super Bowl.  Whether or not you're a big football fan there's a good chance you're invited to a party, having one at your home or you'll flip to the channel now and again to check the score or watch the much waited for commercials.

OK, so some of you may not even turn on the TV that day, but if you're one of those that I've described above, then you're probably going to be cooking up some grub for the game.  One dish that's almost always on a Super Bowl game day table is a hot cheese dip. 

This dip that I'm sharing IMO, is positively the most incredible dip you'll ever try.  It's so quick and easy to put together you'll be surprised at how sensational it tastes.  Your guests won't be able to stop eating it and you won't either!

If you're still not sure you're getting together with friends, I suggest picking up this simple list of ingredients, just so you're prepared.  It will take all of 10 minutes to toss together. 

Oh, and if you forget to pick up the chips try making my simple Homemade Tortilla Chips (below) with those tortillas sitting in your refrigerator. They're better for you than the store bought - but then who's counting when the cheese dip is packed with fat and calories!

Ooey Gooey Cheese Dip
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:
8 oz. mild Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese mix (2 cup package)
4 oz. cream cheese
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup canned diced green chilies
1 Tbsp. hot sauce (or to your taste)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Serve with home baked tortilla chips  (below) or your favorite brand

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients except the chips into a small saucepan.  The recipe can be completed to this point up to 8 hours before heating.

Place the pan over low heat and warm the dip, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted.  Be careful not to let it boil, or the oil will separate from the cheese.

Taste and adjust for spiciness.

Transfer to a warm serving bowl or a mini Crock Pot.


Home Baked Tortilla Chips:

Take flour tortillas and cut in pizza wedges.  Lay on foil covered pan and spray with Pam.  Sprinkle with cumin, S& P or desired spices and bake for 8-10 minutes in 350 degree oven until crisp.

Both recipes are so simple.  In fact, if you have any leftover cheese dip, pour it over your burger or use as a dip for your fries or pretzels.  Pour it over a plate of chips with chicken, olives, sour cream, etc. for a great Nacho appetizer.

Trust me your friends will be raving about this dip.  IT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS!

ENJOY!!!

Super Bowl - Meatloaf Cupcakes!

It's amazing what you can do to make food fun. Although my photo below isn't great I thought it would be a good idea to show what it looks like just out of the oven.



I understand that meatloaf cupcakes are the rage now for catering companies. When I heard this and saw another food blogger post a comment about it I thought I would try and make them. Plus, I think this would be a great Super Bowl item to add to your Game Day Menu. They're easy to eat and delicious!


You can use my recipe, or use the meatloaf recipe that you always use. Just remember to cut the cooking time down to only 30 minutes. My typical recipe cooks for 90 minutes.

I used the recipe I always use for my meatloaf only I put them in a large muffin tin, sprayed with non-stick spray.

I put the raw meatloaf mixture into the individual muffin cups patting down well to fill each tin completely. Then I spread the sauce over the tops of each meatloaf cupcake and placed the pan into the oven at 350 degrees for just 25 minutes. Much less time than it takes for a loaf to cook.



After 25 minutes I piped the sweet potato puree that I made onto each cupcake and let it continue to cook for another 5 minutes.

Each one was so easy to scoop out of their individual cups right onto a plate. I served it with a salad and it was perfect, delicious and fun to eat!

Here's a photo of one that I placed on a plate after I deleted some of the photos off my memory card. I think it would look nice as well with some of the extra puree piped around the cupcake for looks. However, we'd already eaten the remaining sweet potato puree by the time I cleared my memory card.


While eating, it occurred to me that these would taste outstanding piped with soft cheddar cheese on top as they came out of the oven, rather than the potatoes. I love soft cheddar cheese. I definitely think I'll have to try that next time.

Here's my meatloaf recipe followed by the recipe for the sweet potato puree.

Meatloaf
serves 6

2 1/2 pounds ground beef, (I use ground sirloin)
1 cup milk, (skim)
1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Sauce:

1/2 cup chili sauce (Heinz)
1/2 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except sauce in a bowl. Put into a loaf pan that's been sprayed with a non-stick spray. This may be done the day before or early in the day.

Bake at 350F degree oven for 25 minutes, then pipe on the sweet potato puree and bake for 5 more minutes.

The sweet potatoe puree was easy to make.

Sweet Potato Puree
3 sweet potatoes
skim milk
1 tbsp. low fat butter

Cooked potatoes in water for approximately 30-45 minutes at a low simmer until the tip of a knife can be inserted easily.

Drain, then run cold water over them and let them cool for about 15 minutes before handling them. Peel skins off and place in a large bowl. Add skim milk, heavy cream or half and half, plus butter. Whip using a hand mixer to make sure it's a very smooth consistency.

Place in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and add the sweet potato puree to the bag. When meatloaf cupcakes have cooked for 25 minutes, open oven and carefully pipe the puree on top. Close oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve.

Game Day & Cold Weather Soup - Chicken Tortilla Soup

The weather has been so volatile lately going from the teens, then climbing into the 60s and then plummeting back down into the single digits and snowing. It's a great way to get sick and it's exhausting on the body.

During this last plunge I was out shopping and it was around 4:30pm., I was getting ready to go home and I was tired and didn't need to fix dinner for anyone so I stopped into Canyon Cafe, a restaurant in the mall I was at. I decided to get their delicious, warm and comforting Tortilla Soup. I'd forgotten just how wonderful it was. It definitely hit the spot.

After eating it I knew I had to get this recipe so I searched and then remembered I had an old Canyon Cafe cookbook that I had purchased and thought I'd check to see if by some chance it was posted in the cookbook. It was! Of course oftentimes what's posted isn't the actual recipe so I called the restaurant and asked the chef. She assured me that it was the identical recipe they use.

Although it serves 12 you can always cut the proportions in half. However, with SuperBowl just around the corner this would be perfect to prepare ahead and keep in your crockpot for all to enjoy during the game, along with all your other fixins. However, if you like Tortilla Soup as much as I do you might just want to make it for your family to enjoy on a cold winter day. Either way, it's sure to be a hit for family and friends.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did. The recipe didn't call for chicken but I added some boneless skinless chicken breasts to the soup while it was cooking and then cut it up after it was done.

Tortilla Soup
Serves 12
(from Canyon Cafe)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 Green Peppers, diced
1 Large onion, diced
4 Poblano Chiles, seeded and diced
3 Cloves fresh Garlic, minced
12 Corn Tortillas, cut or torn into strips
1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 1/2 tsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Oregano
1 Tbsp. New Mexican Red Chile Powder
4 Qts. Chicken Stock (16 cups)
3 cans (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) pureed tomatoes

Garnishes:

1/2 lb. Crisp Tortilla Chips (you can find premade ones in a bag by croutons)
1 lb. Queso Fresco or Jack Cheese, shredded
1 bunch cilantro, washed and finely chopped

*Optional: For a heartier soup, add 2 lbs. chicken or seafood. (I used raw boneless, skinless, chicken breasts and added it with the broth. I let it cook until it was finished then cut it into bite sized pieces. You can also use already cooked chicken or seafood adding it towards the end as stated below).

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat oil and add peppers, onions, poblanos and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.

Tear corn tortillas into thin strips and add to vegetables. Stir until tortillas begin to soften. Add spices and mix well.

Add stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often to avoid scourching.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in half of Cilantro (from garnishes).

*If using, add optional cooked seafood or chicken. Heat through and serve.

Garnish with crisp tortilla chips, cheese and cilantro.

Note: This soup can be frozen.

If you don't want to make the tortilla strips they sell them packaged now as
well in a variety of flavors.

If you don't feel like going to the trouble to make the soup then just stop into the nearest Canyon Cafe and order a bowl. It's delicious!

Enjoy!