Chicken Bacon and Cream Cheese Taquitos

Ever in the mood for some good 'fried food?  These are fun because they are small and fun to eat.  The star of this dish is the avacado dipping sauce! Pass me a spoon!  I could eat it alone! (But I didn't)

Chicken, Bacon and Cream Cheese Taquitos

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, chopped

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 cans of chicken (yes, cans)

Water

Tortillas

Vegetable Oil (Canola oil works too)

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut up

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon milk

1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

dash of dried dill weed

dash of Garlic powder

dash of black pepper

Directions: 

TAQUITOS

Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain and chop.

Combine bacon, cream cheese and chicken in a small bowl. 

Cut each tortilla to smaller circles that are about 3 inches in diameter.  Spoon some of the filling of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla.  

Roll and secure closed with a toothpick. 

Heat oil in a heay saucepan to a depth of about 3 inches to 350º

Add the taquitos to the oil in batches and cook until well browned on all sides.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

AVOCADO SAUCE

Mash avocado.  Mix with mayonaise, sour cream, milk, vinegar, salt, parsley, onion powder, dill, garlic and pepper. 

Serve with taquitos for dipping. 

Source: Mommy I'm Hungry

Pumpkin Dip

One thing I know...people LOVE dips!  What's better than a themed holiday dip?  This sweet pumpkin dip is a great addition to the dessert table at any Halloween/Fall party!  We used apple slices and graham crackers to dip, but the possibilities are endless!

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup frozen whipped cream, thawed
• Apples or cinnamon graham crackers
• 
  
• Directions

1.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. 

2.  Add in pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and ginger.  Mix well. 

3.  Fold in whipped cream.

4.  Serve with apples and graham crackers. 

*To make it extra fancy, gut a small pumpkin and serve the dip inside. 

Tomatillo Salsa

Um, YUM!  

While helping out my sister and her husband's family during their family reunion I somehow ended up making this salsa.  I had never made this before and I was following a recipe from my sister's friend. Because usually when I make salsa, it's a BIG batch, so when the time came to chop peppers, I absentmindedly chopped up WAY too many for this little bowl.  

You know, auto pilot.  

It was HOT!  But dang, was it good.  So...beware, if you don't like it hot, go easy on the peppers.  

Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs tomatillos

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1-2 jalepeno and serano peppers

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Peel and thoroughly rinse tomatillos.  Cut into halves and place in a food processor.  Add cilantro, green onions, salt, pepper and peppers.  Blend together.  Add water a little bit at a time until desired consistency.  Blending each time to thoroughly mix.  (You may have leftover water)

*It's recommended to control the heat of your salsa to add a small amount of peppers at a time and taste until desired heat is reached.  

7-Layer Bean Dip

This is the easiest dip to make and everyone loves it.  If you can operate a can opener, you can make this dip. 

I've seen it made by mixing taco seasoning into the sour cream to add another flavor, but I prefer it as is.  I like the taste of sour cream.

Also, if you can, try to make it with homemade guacamole.  It'll take this dip up a notch. But, store-bought is good too.   

7-Layer Bean Dip

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans

1 container sour cream

1 container guacamole (or homemade)

2 cups, shredded cheddar cheese

1-2 tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 can sliced olives

Directions:

In a glass casserole dish, layer each ingredient in order, beginning with the beans.  

*Serve with tortilla chips or pita bread.  

Fruit or Dessert Dip

"What should I take to the BBQ?"  That's the question!  Recently I attended a family BBQ and my mom had 90% of the meal already covered.  I wanted to contribute something so this is what I decided to take.  

It worked great becuase it's such a sweet topping.  Pefect for my older brother who doesn't eat fruit.  He created a brownie dessert topped with this dip and some Almond Joy drops.  

Yum!

Fruit or Dessert Dip

Tasty on fruit or brownies!

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

7 ounces sweetened, condensed milk

8 ounces cool whip

Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the milk and mix until there are no lumps.  Lastly, beat in the cool whip until well blended. 

Chill and serve with your favorite treat!

*You could easily add a few drops of red food coloring to make it pretty!

Cliantro Lime Ranch Dressing

I find most bottled ranch dressings are very mediocre, I haven't been able to find one that can stand up to the quality you get at most restaurants.  This dressing is pretty darn close!

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

1 Tablespoon green salsa verde

1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup mayonaise

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 lime, zest and juice

Combine all ingredients and mix well

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Clearly, we love dips!  This one became an instant hit the first time we tasted it.  There are a few variations to the recipe, but no matter how you make it, you'll keep coming back for more. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (we use FRANKS)

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 12.5 oz cans chunk chicken, drained

Directions:

Heat oven to 350º.  Stir cream cheese in bowl until smooth.  Add ranch, sauce and cheese.  Mix in chicken and seperate so there are no chunks.  

Bake about 20 minutes until heated through.  (or microwave for about 5 minute)

Serve with tortilla chips or warm pita bread. 

Variations:

Use bleu cheese dressing instead of ranch and bleu cheese crumbles instead of mozzarella. 

Depending on how spicy you like it you can use Frank's Original (for more of a kick) or Frank's Wing Sauce (for a milder version)

Salsa

Salsa was one of the very first recipes I remember enjoying to make. 

I have been making my own salsa since I was a teenager.  

Recently, I found this recipe and my mouth started to water as I saw it.  

I made it immediately.  

It was incredibly similar to my version with a few added ingredients that really makes it amazing!  

With a few tweaks, it's now my go-to recipe.

Salsa

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 oz) Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies) I prefer to use one HOT and one ORIGINAL.
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 whole jalapeno, quartered
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 whole lime juice (sometimes I cheat and use concentrated lime juice)


Combine everything into a bowl.  Use a hand mixer to blend until you get the consistancy you like.

Test seasonings with tortilla chip and adjust as needed.

Eat immediately, or serve after it's chilled.



Source: Restaurant Style Salsa from Pioneer Woman

Bean Salad

This colorful bean salad is so fresh and light with so many flavors I could eat the entire bowl in one sitting!  I got the recipe from my brother who made it last year for Thanksgiving.  It is now a mandatory side dish at all our family gatherings.

Make this tonight.  You'll probably want to eat the entire bowl.

Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 small red onion, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
small bunch cilantro, minced
1 small bag frozen corn
1 small container feta cheese
juice from 1 lime
few splashes rice vinegar (to taste)


Mix all ingredients together.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is an easy dip that is great to take to potlucks and get togethers with family and friends.  Almost everyone likes a spinach artichoke dip.  This one is from Pampered Chef.  Someone gave us an All-Purpose Spreader as a wedding gift.

Inside the packaging was a small folded piece of manilla paper with this recipe printed on it.  For 8 years I have kept (and used) it.  I am relieved to finally have it on a larger scale.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

2 6oz jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonaise
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF.  


Drain and coarsely chop artichoke hearts.  


Mix artichoke hearts with remaining ingredients in a medium size bowl.  


Spoon into an 8x8 baking dish.


Bake 20-25 minutes or until heated through. 


Serve with tortilla chips, pita bread, crackers or fresh veggies. 

Bean Dip

This bean dip recipe is a masterpiece. The magic is in the ingredients we add to the dip.  It is so simple and delicious.  The dip is beany, cheesy, the chips are crunchy and it truly warms my heart to eat it.  

My family has enjoyed this dip since my parents were newlyweds.  Their love of this snack has become a favorite for all members of the family.  

Now, in my own family, it's a snack we enjoy almost weekly. Yum!

Bean Dip

Ingredients

1 can of Fritos Bean Dip (we like original, but you can try the HOT version too.  It's also delicious!)

1 slice of chedder cheese

a few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes (until the cheese is melted)  Stir to combine and serve with Fritos Corn Chips. 

*I also like to eat it with a warm tortilla.