Pigs In A Blanket

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough, thin crust

14 oz cocktail sausages

2 T butter, melted

¼ tsp garlic powder

½ cup BBQ sauce, or dip of choice

Preheat the oven to 400⁰. Prepare springform pan, by placing an oven proof bowl in the middle of the pan and generously spraying the pan and outside of the bowl with nonstick spray. 

On a lightly floured surface unroll tube of pizza dough. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut into 35-38 rectangles {depending on how many sausages are in your 14 oz package}. Combine melted butter and garlic powder, spread generously onto each rectangle using a pastry brush.

Wrap each cocktail sausage into a piece of dough. Once all of the sausages have been wrapped, begin to place them vertically into the prepared pan. You want them to be snug but not super tight. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Remove the outside ring of the springform pan, fill the bowl with your dip of choice.

Serve your pigs in a blanket wreath and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup caramel sauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 oz Cool Whip

2 T caramel sauce

2 T chopped roasted peanuts

2 T mini chocolate chips

Mix cream cheese, brown sugar, ½ cup caramel sauce, vanilla, and cinnamon together with an electric mixer. Use a spatula to fold in the Cool Whip.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Before serving, drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with roasted peanuts and mini chocolate chips.

Serve with apple slices, graham crackers, and pretzels.

Hot Spinach & Bacon Dip

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 c sour cream

1 pkg (10 oz) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

1 yellow onion, finely diced (or ½ tsp onion powder)

½ tsp garlic powder 

6 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled

1 c cheddar cheese, shredded

2 c mozzarella, shredded

½ tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 8X8 inch baking dish, set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add the spinach, onion, garlic, bacon, salt, pepper, cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese and stir to combine.

Transfer the dip to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.

Bake dip for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown on top. Let spinach dip cool for 5 minutes, then serve with your favorite dippers!

Dippers: Tortilla chips, veggies or pretzel chips

No Bake Pecan Pie Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 oz cool whip, thawed

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup brown sugar

3 T cold butter, diced 

⅓ cup light corn syrup

1 cup chopped pecans

1 large egg

1 ½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

Apple slices, pretzel crisps, or graham crackers for serving

Combine cream cheese, cool whip & powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Spread mixture along the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate and refrigerate while you prepare the topping.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, pecans, vanilla extract, egg, and salt in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute & remove from heat.

Allow topping to cool for 10 minutes before stirring and pouring evenly over the cream cheese layer. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Serve with apple slices, pretzel crisps or graham crackers.

Baked Pizza Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t. Italian seasoning
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 c. spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. bell pepper, finely chopped
tortilla chips or hard breadsticks

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix cream cheese & seasoning together until well blended. Spread into a pie plate. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Drop tablespoons of spaghetti sauce on top of that. Sprinkle with peppers & the other half of the cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Let cool a few minutes. Dip with tortilla chips or breadsticks.

Copycat Bonefish Grill Bang Bang Shrimp

The contrast between the spicy shrimp & cool, crisp lettuce is so yummy! Make sure you use Iceburg lettuce. It's so crispy!
Sauce:
1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C. Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
1 t. peanut butter
3 drops Sriracha Hot chili sauce (or to taste)

1 lb shelled & deveined shrimp
Cornstarch
oil for frying
Iceburg lettuce, chopped bite sized
chopped green onions

In a small bowl, mix mayo with peanut butter & Thai sweet chili sauce. Add hot sauce to taste. Set sauce aside. Dredge the shrimp in cornstarch. Deep fry at 375 degrees for 2 min or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Put shrimp in a bowl & coat with the sauce. Serve in a lettuce lined bowl, top with green onions.

Cranberry Jalapeno Relish

12 oz fresh, uncooked cranberries
1/4 cup green onion
1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers
2 Tbsp. cilantro (optional)
3/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juce
1/8 tsp. salt
8 oz. cream cheese
Ritz crackers

Hand-chop the cranberries. (This process is a bit time consuming, but it is best to not use a food processor to chop these as the cranberries liquify too much. I use my Pampered chef chopper)
Chop green onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro & add to chopped cranberries.
Add sugar, lemon juice and salt on top of cranberry mixture and stir gently until blended.

Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight (not necessary).

Take cranberry mixture out of the refrigerator and stir all ingredients together. Strain out liquid using a collander with small holes.

Serve by spreading 1/2 t cream cheese on a Ritz cracker & top with 1 t cranberry relish.

Stuffed mushrooms

1 lb baby bella mushrooms
1/2 lb country sausage
4 oz cream cheese, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wipe mushrooms off with a damp paper towel. Remove stems. Chop stems up & set aside. Cook sausage until browned. Add chopped mushrooms. Stir in cubed cream cheese until combined. Place filling in mushrooms to overfill them. Place in greased 8X8 pan & bake for 15-20 min. Yum!

Low Carb crackers

Recipe from: http://durhamslovelifetravel.com

1 1/4 c. pork rinds, ground fine
2 c. cheddar cheese, finely grated
2 T. dried Chives
Optional:
Jalapeño slices, from the jar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend all together in a bowl. Place 2 tsp. mounds on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 6-7 min until browned. Will crisp up once cooled.

*Can also place in mini muffin tins to keep a nicer shape.

Avacado Black Bean Corn Salad with Cumin Lime Vinaigrette

Adapted from www.averiecooks.com

Salad:
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium ripe tomato, diced (Roma or vine-ripened)
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced for garnishing
3/4 c frozen corn (I rinse it straight from the freezer and add it; I don't cook it)

Vinaigrette:
4 T lime juice
3 T honey
3 T olive oil
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1/2 t black pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Salad - Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; set aside while you make the vinaigrette
Vinaigrette - Combine all ingredients in a small jar with a lid and shake vigorously (or in a small bowl and whisk together). Taste dressing and make tweaks as necessary according to taste preferences.
Slowly drizzle about half of the vinaigrette over salad and toss gently to combine. You may not use all the vinaigrette depending on preference; extra vinaigrette will keep airtight for many days in the fridge.
Salad may be served immediately or up to 1 to 2 days later, noting that avocado will likely oxidize as time passes, even if salad is kept covered and airtight in the fridge so it may not be as visually appealing. However, I find the flavors marry beautifully after about 4 to 8 hours covered in the fridge, and am willing to compromise the slight color change of the avocado for the enhanced flavor.

Buffalo Hot Wing Dip

2 C. cooked chicken, I use our home canned
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 C. shredded cheese
1 C. ranch dressing
1/2 C. hot sauce
Combine all in a 3 qt slow cooker. cook on low for 1 hr. or bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cheesy Hot Spinach Dip

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1/2 C. sour cream
1/4 C. mayo
1/3 C. parmesan cheese
1/4 C. green onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Place in an ovenproof dish & bake for 25 min. Serve with tortilla chips.

Garden veggie pizza

1 tube of crescent roll dough
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. ranch dressing mix or 1 packet
1/2 c. carrots, finely chopped
1/2 c. chopped each green & red bell peppers
1/2 c. broccoli, chopped fine
1/2 c. green onion, chopped
1 c. shredded cheese
1-2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped fine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough onto baking sheet. Stretch & flatten to form a single rectangle shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11-13 min. Allow to cool.
Mix cream cheese & ranch mix in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange veggies on top. Chill for 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares.