7 Layer Dip

A classic recipe that always gets eaten up at parties, 7-Layer Dip! I made this for a 4th of July Party the other night and thought I would share the recipe. You can also find recipes below for the homemade guacamole and salsa that I used in the layer dip.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

These are homemade baked tortilla chips that are super easy to make. Great for a party to go with a dip, because you can serve them warm out of the oven! They are light, flaky, and can be seasoned however you'd like.

Ingredients:
-5 raw flour tortillas (i buy mine at Costco, and freeze one pack until ready to use)
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-Salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stack your raw tortillas on a cutting board, and using a sharp knife slice them into triangles. Lay a single layer of triangles on a baking sheet. They can overlap slightly. Next drizzle with olive oil and season with salt (or your favorite seasoning). Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until bubbling up and golden brown. Repeat with another batch, until all of your tortillas chips are cooked.

Bruschetta with Pears, Fontina, and Pistachios

We made this bruschetta on Thanksgiving as an appetizer and it is AMAZING! My Mom shared the recipe and I am not sure where it originally came from, but it is one that I will be making again! I love the combination of the sweet pears, creamy fontina, and salty pistachios. Yumm!

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette, sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 9 oz fontina cheese, sliced
• 1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped
• 2 pears (one red, one green), sliced
• freshly ground salt and pepper

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil. Slice baguette.

 Lay slices on the baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until bread is toasted.

 Top with freshly chopped garlic and the sliced fontina cheese.

 Sprinkle the pistachios on top, then place back in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

 Remove from the oven once the cheese is melted and top with pear slices. Serve while still warm.

 

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Lasagna Cupcakes

I came across this recipe on Pinterest via The Girl Who Ate Everything. This recipe is super easy to follow, I adjusted it slightly to make more of them. These little lasagnas would be great as an appetizer at a party or an easy dinner to prep at home to take to someone for a meal. You can find the recipe here to make 6 cupcakes or follow along below; I made 18 standard sized lasagna cupcakes.You could also alter the recipe to make your favorite kind of lasagna.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz jar of marinara sauce or 2 cups of homemade marinara sauce.
• 1 lb of ground beef or turkey
• 36 wonton wrappers (find in the produce section of the grocery store, in the refrigerated section)
• 8-12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• Basil, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease your muffin tins.

2. Brown your ground beef or turkey over medium high heat until browned. Add Salt and Pepper.

3. Cut wonton wrappers with a drinking glass or round cookie cutter.

4. Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. First place a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese on top. Then top with some meat and marinara sauce. You can add the ingredients to your taste. I added about 1-2 teaspoons of the cheeses and about 1-2 tablespoons of the meat and sauce for each layer.

5. Repeat step 4 and once you end with the marinara sauce you will add more Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top of each cupcake.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins. Run a knife along the edges to loosen.

8. Garnish with basil and serve.

Shrimp Cocktail

This is how my family make shrimp cocktail, it's really easy and really good! We are big fans of the Old Bay seasoning! Typically shrimp cocktail is served cold, but I love eating the shrimp while they are still a little warm!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lbs raw deveined shrimp with tail on
• 1-2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 beer

Directions:
First mix together your cocktail sauce and set aside (see below). Next thaw your shrimp under cool water in a colander if frozen. Pour vinegar and the beer in a pot large enough to hold all of your shrimp. Place a steaming basket over top. Place your shrimp in the basket once thawed. Sprinkle with the Old Bay seasoning, saving some for after they cook. Cook on Medium High. Once the water comes to a boil, cook until the shrimp turn pink. About 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and place shrimp on a plate, sprinkle with more seasoning. You can refrigerate the shrimp or serve warm with the cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Ketup
• 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cucumber Feta Toasts

 I came across this recipe in an old issue of the Everyday Food Magazine and thought it sounded really good. I made it today for lunch and loved them, and so did Hudson! They would make a great summer appetizer and they are super easy to throw together. I will be making these again!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 baguette
• 2 teaspoons plus 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 ounces feta
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced crosswise

Directions:

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. Split baguette lengthwise and lightly brush cut sides with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Bake until golden around edges, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together feta, 4 teaspoons oil, and lemon juice with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Spread feta mixture evenly over toasted baguette and top with cucumber. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and a drizzle of oil. Cut into pieces to serve.

Pecorino Crackers

 This recipe is found in Giada de Laurentiis cookbook, Giada's Kitchen. These crackers are really yummy, and can also be used crumbled over soups or salads.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups grated pecorino Romano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the cheese mixture and butter until combined. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing only until incorporated and the mixture holds together.

Place tablespoon-sized balls of the dough on 1 or 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets, tapping the dough down gently with your fingertips. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving plate.

Recipe also found on foodnetwork.com

Grilled Artichokes

Artichokes:

• 2 artichokes
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil

Trim the top of the artichoke and the pointy edges with kitchen shears. Fill a large pot with water, the lemon juice, half of the lemon , and also the garlic clove. Bring it to a boil and add the artichokes. Use a large bowl to hold the artichokes under the water, and boil for 20 to 25 minutes.

Once removed from the water and cool enough to handle, cut each artichoke in half. Then drizzle olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Grill on medium to medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and serve warm with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon horseradish sauce
• 1/2 lemon squeezed
• Salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 shallot finely chopped

Mix all of the ingredient together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Artichoke Dip

This is a recipe that my Mom and Dad came up with together. This is a really easy and really yummy recipe! Also great to take to a party.

Artichoke Dip

• 1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1 small can green chilies, chopped
• 1 8oz block of cream cheese
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 3/4 cup monterey jack with jalapeno pepper cheese, grated

Soften the cream cheese and butter in the microwave. Add to the pie pan and stir in the artichoke hearts and green chilies. Mix together and spread smooth. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with crackers or pita chips.