Lizard Tongues Halloween Stuffed Sweet Peppers Recipe

Hola Amigos! Happy October! Are you ready to get your Spook On? I'm so excited! I love this time of the year and most of all Halloween!
Today I'm serving some Lizard Tongues I stuffed with some wild mushrooms, garlic bread crumbs and Baby Swiss cheese among other ingredients, and I'm dipping them in some delicious Snail Slime dipping sauce! oh yummm!

You can make these guys just  vegetarian or like I always do make a batch with meat for the carnivores in your family.

I have to admit these peppers are a little tricky to stuff than their bigger bell pepper cousins, but it was all worth it! I ate the entire first batch by myself with the "I'm just trying them for flavor" excuse! I just love the Snail Slime!

On to the recipe friends! Thank You so much for visiting the blog. I hope this first day of October greets you in Good Health, Happiness and Love! which reminds me, even Lizard Tongues taste better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

Lizard Tongues Halloween Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
1 Bag  Mini Sweet Peppers (16 oz)
1/2 Cup Garlic Bread Crumbs ( I processes some Croutons)
6 oz Wild Mushrooms Mix (or Portobella)
1/8 Cup Baby Swiss cheese (shredded)
1 Tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt, lemon pepper
For carnivores:
1/4 Cup Buffalo Chicken Breast from the Deli, processed in a food processor or blender.
Snail Slime:
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
3 TBSP Salsa Verde and 1 extra to put on top.
Directions:
Wash your peppers thoroughly and dry. Cut the tops and very carefully scoop the seeds. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepan heat up 3 cups of water until it boils. Once in boils put your peppers in  for a couple of minutes, about 4-5. Remove from heat and hot water and put them in a separate container full of ice water. This will stop the cooking process.
Heat up your oven at 325.
When your peppers are cool to the touch, stuff each one very carefully with your mix.
One they are all stuffed, lay them flat on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the stuffing on top gets golden brown.
Once they are done. Remove from the oven and serve with the Snail Slime Sauce. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes                           Baking time 12-15 minutes                        Serves 24

Sharing my Bewitching appetizers at these Fa-BOO-lous Parties:

The Everyday Home, The Well Crafted Home, Smart School House, My Sweet Mission, Lady Behind the Curtain, Thank You Honey, All She Cooks, Ducks'n a Row, Sweet Haute, A Handful of Everything, The Mandatory Mooch, Saving 4 Six, Dizzy, Busy and Hungry, The Crafty Blogstalker, Maid in a Day, Simply Dream and Create, The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, Tidy Mom, The Girl Creative, Home Maid Simple,
Love and Laundry, Todays Creative Blog, Practically Functional, My Turn (for Us), Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, Sara Howe, Cooking with Curls, Living Better Together, Shaken Together, The Pin Junkie, 504 Main, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sisters Stuff, It's Overflowing, Be Different Act Normal, Classy Clutter, Classy Clutter, Angels Homestead, Suburbs Mama, Tiwgg Studios, Life on Lakeshore Drive, I Should be Mopping the Floors, The Chicken Chick, Huckleberry Love, Under the Table and Dreaming, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Velvet Moon Baker, Flamingo Toes, This Gal Cooks, WOM, Between Naps on the Porch, My Girlish Whims, Ginger Snap Crafts, Made to be a Momma, A Southern Fairytale, The Shady Porch, Our Table for Seven, Memories by the Mile, Love Bakes Good Cakes, My Mixing Spoon

Spider Eggs Halloween Plantain and Cheese Fritters Recipe

Hola Amigos! Sharing with you today a quick recipe for a tasty appetizer! Sweet and Salty, Crispy and Soft with a bonus...Cheese!!! That's right!, this appetizer has it all!! even the spooky factor if you put it together the right way...like with a giant Spider!!!

I love Plantains, I can't get tired of a fruit that is edible in every stage of it's life, green, yellow and even black! We used to make these back home in Panama for weekend breakfast, or just a snack to get us going until supper later in the day.

I made mine quite big this time, after all...these particular ones are the offspring of this Giant Mamma Spider..yikes!

Do you guys have any fears or phobias? Some members of my house are not fond of spiders, I don't have a problem with them but I do with roaches (I even hate saying that name)

Well guys, enough of spiders and bugs for now, joking aside these are so good you can't have just one! I hope you give them a try this season and bring a taste of the tropics home when the weather gets cold outside!

 Hope you have a wonderful Official First Day of Fall! Remember my friends everything tastes better, with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos, 

Lizy

Spider Eggs Plantain and Cheese Fritters

Ingredients:

2-3 Yellow Plantains

Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, White Pepper, Smoked Paprika 1 Tsps each

1/8 Pd Chorizo

1 TBSP Corn Starch

1/8 Pd your favorite Cheese

Panko Bread Crumbs

Oil for frying

Directions:

Cut each plantain in 3 pieces. Cut ends too.

In a heavy pot full of water place your plantains with skin and cook for about 20 minutes until soft. Remove from fire and drain. Peel the skin of the plantain and mash as if you were making mash potatoes. 

Season with spices mentioned above and cornstarch. Add the chorizo 

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop parts of the mashed plantains, make a ball  (as if you were making meatballs), poke a whole and put a piece of your favorite cheese.

Roll the  ball in Panko Crumbs and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for them to set.

Fry each ball on very hot oil until brown and crispy on the outside, about 2-3 minutes, watch them they turn golden very fast. Serve and enjoy

Prep time: 25 minutes                             Cook Time 3 minutes                   Serves 6-8 balls

Sharing my Spider's Offspring at these Fa-BOO-lous Parties:

Between Naps on the Porch, PandP Kitchen, Tumbleweed Contessa, Create with Joy, Feeding Big, Rain on a Tin Roof, A Pinch of Joy, Setting for Four, Huckleberry Love, Say Not Sweet Anne, The Gunny Sack, Coastal Charm, Ladybug Blessings, Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Home Stories A to Z, Hun...What's for Dinner, Our Table for 7, Under the Table and Dreaming, DIY Home Sweet Home, Mad in Crafts, A Southern Fairytale, Jam Hands, Jembellish, Sugar Bee Crafts, Nap Time Creations, Memories by the Mile, Cozy Little House, The Well Crafted Home, Ducks'n a Row, The Everyday Home, Sew Creative, The Shady Porch, Ginger Snap Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Fluster Buster, This Silly Girl's Life, Trendy Tree House, Kitchen Meets Girl, SNAP, 733 Blog, The Real Housewives of Riverton, Polkadots on Parade, Someday Crafts, We Like to Learn as We Go, My Girlish Whims, Smart School House, The 36th Avenue, 52 Mantels, The Mandatory Mooch, Sweet Haute, Saving 4 Six, Lamberts Lately, What's Cooking Love, Glamorous Bride, Live, Laugh, Rowe, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Katherines Corner, The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, Tidy Mom, The Girl Creative, One Tough Mother, Home Maid Simple, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, 504 Main, Craft Dictator, Do Small Things with Love, Diana Rambles, Sara Howe, Living Better Together, The Jenny Evolution, Shaken Together, The Pin Junkie, Tatertots and Jello, Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Serenity You, Classy Clutter, Who Needs a Cape, Cheerios and Lattes, Too Much Time, Twig Studios, Life on Lakeshore Drive, WCFS, Your Homebased Mom, Mommifried, The Thriftiness Miss, Under the Table and Dreaming, Flamingo Toes,I Should be Mopping the Floors, Frugal Foodie Mama, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Made from Pinterest

Rat's Nest Halloween Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe

Hola Amigos! There is no party without a good dip right? I love spinach and artichoke dip! That is the first and  pretty much only appetizer I order other than stuffed mushrooms (those will be coming soon). Also I like mine warm but if I'm desperate, I really don't care how it is ...just pass the chips!
This particular recipe is my SIL's !!! I'm sure you probably make it a similar way since it's such a simple and easy recipe but boy!...so good!

What I love about it is that it has tons of cheese and equal amount of spinach! I've found some places cut the amount of spinach short and add a fillers  like water chestnuts instead!

Chips are an important part of this dip. Don't get the thin ones! This particular dip is thick and chunky so you need a good chip to get a hold of all the goodness!

And why the Rat's Nest name for my this particular one? well think about it, Rats are omnivores, but they love cheese there are 3 cheeses alone on this one! Rats like warm moist places, this dip has the right amount of moisture thanks to the spinach and since it's baked...it's steamy hot! And rat's are messy...there is a mess every time you eat chips right? crumbles everywhere...or maybe just when I eat them,  lol

So there you go my friends, short and sweet! What's your favorite appetizer? Do you order the same one every time you go out? It was great to have you here for appetizer time! Remember everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

Rat's Nest Halloween Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

16 oz Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and drained

8 oz Chives and Onion Cream Cheese, softened

1 package Vegetable Dip Mix

14 oz (1 can) Artichoke Hearts, chopped and drained

8 oz (1 can) Water Chestnuts, chopped and drained

1/4 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the mozzarella cheese. Spoon everything on a oven safe container and top the mix with the mozzarella cheese. 

Put in the oven and and bake for 15 minutes or until dip is hot. Serve with chips and enjoy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes                   Cooking Time: 15 minutes                   Servings 3 Cups

Sharing some Spooktacular chips and dip at these Fa-BOO-Lous Parties:

Ducks 'n a Row, Lady Behind the Curtain, Made to be a Momma, Ginger Snap Crafts, Mom's Test Kitchen, The Shady Porch, My Girlish Whims, Crystal and Co, The Well Crafted Home, The Everyday Home, Kitchen Meets Girl, Thank You Honey, The Trendytreehouse, Dream a Little Bigger, White Lights on Wednesday, Smart School House, Polkadots on Parade, We Like to Learn as We Go Real Housewives of Riverton, SNAP, 733, This Silly Girl's Life, Someday Crafts, Handy Man, Crafty Woman, Memories by the Mile, The 36th Avenue, 52 Mantels, Sweet Haute, A Handful of Everything, Katherine's Corner, The Mandatory Mooch, What's Cooking, Love?, Lamberts Lately, The Crafty Blogstalker, Live Laugh Rowe, Gingerly Made, The Brambleberry Cottage, Recipes for my boys, Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, The Best Blog Recipes, Craftionary, The Answer is Chocolate, My Turn (for Us), Simply Sweet Home, Living Better Together, The Pin Junkie, Tidy Mom, Just Us Four, Home Maid Simple, Dear Creative, Diana Rambles, 504 Main, Tatertots and Jello, A Little Claireification, Sewlicious Home, Angels Homestead, The Thriftiness Miss, Craft Dictator, Sara Howe, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sisters Stuff, I Gotta Create, Be Different Act Normal, It's Overflowing, Twigg Studios, WCFS, Your Homebased Mom, Dessert Now, Dinner Later, Pink When, Who Needs a Cape, Nifty Thrifty Things, Flamingo Toes, Spatulas on Parade, My Mixing Spoons, I Should Be Mopping the Floors, The Casual Craftlete, Cooking for the Seven Dwarfs, This Gal Cooks, Between Naps on the Porch, PandP Kitchen, The Tumbleweed Contessa, Titi Crafty, Create with Joy, Feeding Big, Suburbs Mama, Rain on a Tin Roof, A Pinch of Joy, Setting for Four, Huckleberry Love, The Gunny Sack, Ladybug Blessings, Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Home Stories A to Z, Our Table for 7, Under the Table and Dreaming, DIY Home Sweet Home, Mad in Crafts, A Southern Fairytale, Jam Hands, Jembellish, Sugar Bee Crafts, Nap Time Creations, Memories by the Mile, Cozy Little House, Fluster Buster, Townsend House, Frugal Foodie Mama

Alfredo and Pesto Chicken Bruschetta Recipe

Hola Amigos! With the weekend approaching I have the perfect appetizer for you or even a light meal with a bowl of soup instead of a sandwich. And the best thing of all is that you can make this with leftovers from a classic Italian dinner like Chicken Alfredo. That's what I did!

I had made some Fettuccine Alfredo a few days ago, you can find the recipe here and had some chicken and Italian bread leftover. My husband had to go on a last minute business trip and it was only me and the kids. No point of cooking a big meal, right, then and idea came to mind, how about bruschetta, Alfredo and Pesto, crazy but it might work.

I just added store bought Alfredo sauce, crisp bacon, tomatoes, basil and made a delicious pesto butter with butter and store bought pesto.

My semi-home made Alfredo and Pesto Bruschetta was a hit and a  "you have to make these again mom"! AKA Seal of Approval from the kiddos!

I even made a couple Vegetarian! I was thinking on a Vegetarian bloggy friend of mine (you know who you are, lol  don't worry I won't Out You) and thought she could have these anytime!
Just a few sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms sauteed in a little bit of olive oil and white wine, salt and pepper and you are all set!

I love when  last minute fixins' turns this good.

Thank you so much for your visit today! I hope your coming weekend goes as planned and if you are having friends over always consider this recipe to share with them. Keep in mind my friends, everything tastes better with a Pinch of Love!

Besitos,

Lizy

Alfredo and Pesto Chicken Bruschetta

Ingredients

1 Loaf Italian Bread

2 TBSP Pesto Sauce

4 TBSP Unsalted Butter

2 Cups Shredded Chicken

4 Slices of Bacon Crisp and Crumbled

1 Jar Alfredo Sauce

1 Large Tomato

Basil Leaves

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

For vegetarian:

8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms Sliced

Olive Oil

1/2 White Wine 

Directions:

Heat oven at 400F.

In a heavy sauce pan, mix shredded chicken with Alfredo Sauce heat up until warm. Set aside. Dice your tomato finely and julienne your basil leaves. 

In a microwave safe container, melt the butter. Remove and add 2 tablespoons of your pesto sauce. Spread this mix or "Pesto Butter" over your bread slices, front and back. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove form oven.

Top each slice of bread with the Chicken mixture, chopped tomato, basil, crumble bacon and mozzarella cheese. Drizzle a little bit of "pesto butter" if desired. Serve hot and enjoy!

To make the vegetarian version. 

In a large skillet with olive oil saute the sliced mushrooms, once soft add white wine and let simmer for 5 minutes. Mix with 3/4 Cup Alfredo Sauce. Take your toasted bread, spread the mushroom mix on the bread and top with tomato, basil and cheese, Serve hot and enjoy!

Prep Time 5 minutes     Cooking Time 10 minutes      Serves 6-8

Sharing my leftover magic meal at these Fabulous Parties:

Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons, My Turn (for Us), Home Maid Simple, Rattlebride Farm, Blissful and Domestic, Do Small Things with Love, 504 Main, the Pin Junkie, Jennifer Rizzo, My Romantic Home, This and That, The Best Blog Recipes, Love and Laundry, Chic on a Shoestring, The Shabby Nest, The Answer is Chocolate, Tidy Mom, One Tough Mother, A Simple Five, Craftionary, Liz Marie, Simply Designing, Becoming Martha, Simply Sweet Home, Living Better Together, The Jenny Evolution, My Personal Accent, Krafty Card Set, 4 Little Fergusons, Tartertots and Jello, Cooking with Curls, Happy and Blessed Home, Five Days 5 Ways, Just Us Four, Whiperberry, Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen, The Wondering Brain, Lovely Crafty Home,Dear Creatives, Dessert Now, Dinner Later, Angel Homestead, Serenity You, Cheerios and Lattes, Too Much Time, Classy Clutter, The Taylor House, Flamingo Toes, Life on Lakeshore Drive, Suburbs Mama, Twigg studios, Spatulas on Parade, VMG206, Nifty Thrifty Things, Rain on a Tin Roof, Huckleberry Love, Still Being Molly, Cupcake-n-Bake, The Princess and her Cowboys, The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen, A Southern Fairytale, Mad in Crafts, The Chicken Chick, Say Not Sweet Anne, Ms.enPlace, BoggieBoard Cottage, I Gotta Try That, Who Needs a Cape, The Blacberry Vine, Ladybug Blessings, Mama Dish, hun...what's for dinner?, Our Home Away from Home, Pint Sized Baker, Kathe with an E, Mandy's Recipe Box, Chef in Training, Love Grows Wild, Home Stories A to Z Nap- Time Creations, Sugar Bee Crafts, Adventures of a DIY Mom, Feeding Big, Homemade Ginger, Memories by the Mile, Not Just a Housewife, Powerful Mothering, Smart School House, Made to be a Mama, Ginger Snap Craft, Clean and Scentsible, Fluster Buster, The Shaddy Porch, Lady Behind the Curtain, My Girlish Whims, Adorned from Above, Kitchen Meets Girl, All She Cooks, DIY Craft Projects, Thank You Honey, Worthing Court, The 36th Avenue, Life with the Crust Cut Off,  Fine Craft Guild, Sew Much Ado, Someday Crafts, The Real Housewives of Riverton, SNAP!, The Crafty Blog Stalker, What's Cooking Love?, Saving 4 Six, Live, Laugh, Rowe, 52 Mantels, The Mandatory Mooch, The Brambleberry Cottage, Polkadots on Parade, Southern Lovely, Katherines Corner, House of Hepworths, Lamberts Lately, The Style Sisters, My Joy Filled Life, Food Done Light, Sew Much Crafting,
Six Sister's Stuff, Ducks n' a Row, My Mixing Spoons, Glitter, Glue and Paint, 

Other Appetizers that you might enjoy:

Pepper Boats and Dips

Cranberry Apricot Brie

There are two situations that you could in find yourself in on this Thanksgiving Eve that could make this recipe quite worth your while.

 

A.  You are invited as a guest to someone's house for Thanksgiving and maybe you haven't slowed down yet to think through how rude it might be to show up empty handed for a feast that has been planned and prepped for weeks.

B.  Maybe you are in charge of this colossal meal and between the big bird himself, countless sides and pulling your house together, you haven't really stopped to think about all of the people who will be milling around waiting for everything to get to the table.  Ever notice how no one asks when dinner will be ready if there is plenty to snack on?

Whether you want to be invited back next year or you want to keep restless pilgrims at bay, this is a pretty perfect Thanksgiving appetizer.   While it's one of my favorites all holiday season, it becomes especially handy on a day like Thanksgiving where you couldn't find extra oven space no matter how hard you try. While this baked brie will also always be a favorite, this one comes together in a matter of minutes and looks pretty fancy if you ask me without needing even a second of heat.  It's also a bit of a star because it's actually best at room temperature, which means it can sit out for hours.

Okay, I'm gonna wrap this up... you need to get to the grocery store.

And if you just so happen to be one of those really on the ball types and have had this big day planned out for months, you could always keep this in mind for a Christmas party.

From my little kitchen to yours... Happy Thanksgiving.

Cranberry Apricot Brie
Note about cranberries and apricots:  If your grocery store has bulk bins, there is a good chance that they carry dried apricots and cranberries.  If your bulk bin does not have the bright orange apricots, check the dried fruit aisle because the color makes for a much prettier presentation than the dark brown variety.
Note about brie:  If you are not familiar with brie, you might be confused by the white skin that surrounds the cheese.  This is completely edible.  We only remove it from the top of the cheese to help the topping stick to the actual cheese.  If your brie is extra creamy, it might be hard to cut.  Make sure it is very cold and run your knife under hot water to heat up the blade to ease it into the cheese.
Ingredients
1 8 oz round of brie
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
3/4 cup dried cranberries
5 dried apricots, quartered
Step by Step
With a very sharp knife, slice a very thin layer off on one side of the cheese, taking off the white coating and exposing the cheese.  Discard the thin piece.  Make another horizontal slice in the brie leaving you with two even layer of cheese.  Place the round that still includes the skin on a serving tray.  Slather the cheese with one tablespoon of apricot preservers and sprinkle 1/4 cup of cranberries on top. Place the other round of cheese on top.  Smother with two additional tablespoons of apricot preserves.  Top with cranberries and quartered apricots.  Brie can be prepared up to two days in advance.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  When ready to serve, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve with your favorite plain crackers.

Mini Potato Boats + Father's Day Food

Father's Day is upon us.  Here's what you should do...

Invite your pops over.  If he is not a Southern Baptist minister, crack him open a beer. Find him a cozy chair to settle into and hand him the remote to channel surf for a couple hours.  Don't worry, you don't have to be a witness to the channel surfing.  You will be busy in the kitchen cooking up a storm.  Let's make man food and make our dads proud (and full).


These potato boats have dad written all over them.  For starters, meat and potatoes is essential when celebrating any person in the male category.  These little boats were made for barbecues and dad's love uncomplicated food.  No questions to ask about how to eat these... no silverware required.
Now I can't tell you much more about my Father's Day plans because it's a surprise and if there is one person in the world that has read this blog religiously since day one, (and prints out the post... even though I have tried to assure him the internet is going nowhere and he can always access them at any time... save the trees, dad, save the trees)  it's my father.

All I can say is these potatoes may be involved and they happen to go really well with other portable items.  There might also be a need for these... okay, that's it.  I'll post the happenings after July 17.

More man food for a Father's Day Feast...

***Buffalo Chicken Meatballs***Shredded Pork Tacos***Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken Wraps***Oreo Truffles***Texas Sheetcake Cupcakes***Sangria***Watermelon Margaritas***

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Mini Potato Boats
Recipe Notes
Resist the urge to use store bought crumbled bacon.  The flavor is incomparable to home-cooked and the store bought bacon is overly crunchy.  However, you can use leftover bacon from breakfast or the day before.
Ingredients
12 new red potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon (about 3 pieces)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil.  Place cut side down on a nonstick baking sheet. If you do not have a nonstick sheet, lightly coat the pan with extra olive oil.  Bake until the skins are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size of potato.  To test for doneness, use tongs to lift up one potato and make sure cut side is nice and brown.  Set aside to cool.

While potatoes are baking, grab a small bowl and mix together the sour cream, blue cheese, bacon, parsley and onion. Refrigerate.

When potatoes are cooled, use a melon baller or sharp knife to gently scoop out the center of each potato. A regular spoon can be hard to scoop out the inside without breaking the potato so it is good to have a utensil with a sharp edge.  Once you've broken through with the sharp edge, a spoon can be used to scoop out the rest of the potato.

Add scooped out potatoes to sour cream mixture.  Mash potatoes into the mixture with a fork and blend well.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve, pop the potato skins back into a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and fill each potato skin with the sour cream mixture and top with parsley.  

Serves 6.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs w/ blue cheese dressing

You've got two opportunities in the very near future to kill it with these meatballs.

This is the ultimately perfect football watching food.  Superbowl... check.

And if you are looking for someone to fall in love with you on Valentine's (or stay in love with you) these will do it.  They are that serious.  Perfect appetizer.

Back in my high school days, I had a short run of being really into wings.  I loved the taste of the barely spicy tangy chicken wing dipped in cool blue cheese dressing.  And then one day, I stared right at that wing and imagined the little chicken I was gnawing on.  It was over, right then and there.  Couldn't do it anymore.

 

And let's get real, if you can get past the idea of gnawing between those bones, you still don't look pretty doing it.  Enter these mini buffalo chicken meatballs that have all that good flavor without the carnage.

 

FYI... Mr. Hungry has updated his favorite thing I have ever ever made to this right here... I told you it was serious.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
Adapted from Glamour Magazine February 2012
Recipe Notes
I used nonfat greek yogurt in place of the sour cream because I had it on hand.  It makes for a healthier dressing, but if want the full richness of a blue cheese dressing, use sour cream.  If you plan on doubling or tripling a recipe for a big party, you do not need to double the dressing.  One batch is plenty.  Use leftover dressing on a wedge salad.  If you are unfamiliar with ground chicken, it can be found in most grocery stores near the ground turkey or ground beef.  You could also have a butcher freshly grind a few boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you cannot find it anywhere.  Leftover meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the oven or microwave.
Ingredients
1/2 stick (4 tbsp.) butter
1/4 cup Frank's RedHot hot sauce
1 lb. ground chicken
1 tsp. salt
1/2 stalk celery, minced
1 large egg
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
For the dressing
1 cup sour cream (or nonfat greek yogurt)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
(makes 2 1/2 cups of dressing)
Step by Step
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  In a small pot, combine butter and hot sauce over low heat, whisking until butter is melted.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.  Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place remaining chicken meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand, adding the hot sauce butter mixture as well.  Make sure the ingredients are combined throughout.  Using a teaspoon, roll the meatball mixture into marble sized balls.  Place balls in rows on the parchment paper.  Roast until firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes.

To make dressing, combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until blended.   Refrigerate until ready to use.

For an extra kick, drizzle extra hot sauce onto meatballs.  Serve with dressing and extra celery.

Makes 65 mini meatballs.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread

True story. 

The first time I served this to a crowd was for a ladies tea/ luncheon/ get together sort of thing that I catered in the fall.  I spent quite a bit of time preparing all kinds of tea sandwiches, making a few dips and mini appetizers.  When I got to the party, I threw together this dish in about 5 minutes. 

About 30 minutes into the party, the honey comb goat cheese had been utterly devoured and the other dishes were just starting to show signs of being nibbled on. 

Moral of  the story:  Preparation time does not equal the amount of goodness or popularity of a dish.

Okay, so that is not brain science, but listen up... you are totally going to to need to serve this at your next get together.  A tiny bit of extra sweet honey comb with a bite of tangy goat cheese topped off with the burst of a fresh berry or a fig is the definition of a party in your mouth.

This is just what January needs.  Fresh flavors that are a tad funky.  This is so 2012. 

Honeycomb honey is great.  The honeycomb is insanely sweet so a little goes a long way.  I'm sure it is quite helicopter momish of me, but I feel like I must instruct people on how to eat this.  If I'm leaving the party, I make sure to instruct folks and also urge them to pass on the word to other guests who might not have shown up yet.  It's just that if you get the perfect bite, it is pure bliss.  

So my instructions include: Grab a cracker, slice off a tiny piece of the honeycomb... like 4th of a marble size tiny... scoop a little goat cheese honey mixture and top with a berry.  Perfection.

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Honey Comb Goat Cheese Spread
Recipe Notes

Honey with a honey comb can be bought at specialty grocery stores and some of the larger stores as well.  If you are in Texas, HEB carries the brand pictured below. It will be on the shelf with the rest of the honey selection, but look closely and you will see a honey comb floating in the middle of a few varieties.  Use berries depending on the season.  I love fresh figs this time of year, but raspberries and blueberries (or a mix) are also great choices. If using figs, cut off stems and quarter them.    I also like to serve this with two types of crackers.  Wheat Thins ( I like the "BIG" ones that are a little bit larger of a square than the regular) and Wafer thin crackers that seem to be popping up in most grocery stores.  There are a lot of brands, but this is what they look like.

Ingredients

1 jar of honey with a honey comb (see recipe note)
1 large log of goat cheese (10 or 11 ounces), or the same amount of pre crumbled goat cheese
1 to 2 cups of figs, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
Your favorite plain crackers and Wheat Thins, for serving
Step by Step
Remove honey comb from jar of honey and place in the middle of a large serving platter.  Drizzle a little bit of honey on the rest of the plate.  Crumble goat cheese all over the plate and honey comb.  Drizzle a little more honey on top.  Sprinkle berries on top. 

Serve with crackers.

Serves 8 to 12.