Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheeseball

Photos courtesy of The Cooking Corner.

     Recently we poker girls got together for our annual birthday card party. Everyone brings a dish and their beverage of choice, along with a birthday card and lottery ticket. We have a grand time and snacks are always a priority. 
     This time I brought an easy cheeseball that I'd been wanting to try for awhile. It was a simple, tasty treat that would be perfect for any upcoming sports events or party.

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Cheeseball
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (1 oz.) packet Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1/4 cup onion, fine diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup chives, freeze-dried
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
 
Combine all ingredients in medium bowl, mixing well. Form into a ball. 

Wrap in plastic wrap, put in a bowl and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Turn onto plate surrounded by choice of crackers.

Serves 10-12.

Honey Toasted Pecans

Photo courtesy Ryan Spear, Mt. Carmel, IL

     It's always good to keep your ears and mind open to trying new things. Over the years, I've been so lucky because friends, family and coworkers give me ideas, tips and recipes. The trouble I've found is that's there's just not enough time in the day to try them all.
     But when I least expected it, one of the greatest little snacks appeared right at my work station. Next to my keyboard there was a bowl of honey roasted pecans. To top it off they were dusted in powdered sugar.
     I remembered that one of my coworkers mentioned he and a friend had plans of roasting pecans over the weekend. Now I understood what he meant. These little treats were soft, slightly salty but sweet at the same time.
     Because I was wearing a solid red shirt and had an interview to do, I waited until later to try them. (I didn't want powdered sugar droppings down my front.) It was love at first bite. These little nibbles reminded of my favorite Christmas cookies, Mexican wedding cakes. Well, maybe without all of the butter and flour, but the taste took me right there.
     What I didn't realize is that while I was busy, the entire office had tried these and I was lucky there was any left. News of the little tasties had spread like wild fire. With this type of great review I couldn't help but share the recipe. It's the perfect snack to try for the upcoming holidays.

Honey Toasted Pecans 
Recipe courtesy of Ryan Spear,
Mt. Carmel, IL
1 bag of pecans
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup honey
salt
cinnamon sugar
2 cups powdered sugar (optional)

Melt butter and honey together, mix well.
Toss pecans and butter/honey mixture together.

Arrange on baking pan, spreading out well.
Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon sugar (to your desire)

Bake at 350 for 10 min, then stir and put back in for additional 5 minutes.
Let cool for 1 hour.

Put powdered sugar in plastic baggie and then add pecans. Shake to coat.

Smoked Beef Brisket

A platter of brisket courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    We bought a beef brisket from our local butcher and were determined to try this piece of meat that seemed ominous. It's great if you get it right, but if you go wrong you've wasted a bunch of cash.
    Keep in mind that brisket takes FOREVER - low, slow and a real long time, so planning is important. I tried to start early, but didn't get it on the smoker until about 9 a.m. It still took until after 10 that night before we finally got to close to the desired temperature. 
    Next time I'll smoke during the late afternoon and let it be low and slow in the oven, all night long. Almost every brisket recipe that I consulted said to let it smoke for around 5 hours, give or take, and then wrap tightly in a few layers of foil and continue to cook on low about 6 more hours (in the oven). It's so much easier that way.
    This is how we pulled off a great first attempt at the crown jewel of the BBQ world.
 
Smoked Beef Brisket
9 lb. beef brisket, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
7-8 T. olive oil
4 T. garlic powder
3 T.  cracked black pepper

6 T. dry rub of choice (I used Old Man Larry's Spice Rub)
1-1/2 cup beef broth

Note: To fit our electric smoker, the brisket was cut in half.

Drizzle olive oil over beef and rub in well to coat. Sprinkle dry rub, garlic powder and pepper over meat, coating well on all sides.

Place in plastic container and refrigerate over night. (Some cover meat in plastic wrap before storing in a container.)

Rubbed brisket

About an hour before cooking, remove brisket from refrigerator and let sit, covered on counter to come to room temp while preparing grill.

Soak apple chips in water 30 minutes. Make sure there's a water pan in the smoker at least half full of water or apple juice.

Coat grill grates with cooking spray. If using charcoal, light coals in chimney until glowing and add to smoker. Bring to 220-225 degrees.

Using a well oiled plunger, inject beef broth into brisket. (As much as you can or about 1/2 cup.) Reserve remaining beef broth.

Place brisket in smoker and cook 5 hours or to 160 degrees, adding chips every hour or so and charcoal as needed, if using. 

Remove brisket to foil line pan. Preheat oven to 220 degrees.

Brisket in the smoker

Try injecting 1/2 cup more of beef broth. Wrap brisket in 2-3 layers of foil and continue to cook in 220 degree oven another 6 hours or until an internal temperature of 210.

Remove from oven, unwrap and let rest - awhile. You'll want to tear in and try a sample but don't. Wait 20-30 minutes. Save all liquid possible. 

Slice against the grain at least 1/4 inch thick.
Serve immediately or place sliced brisket in container and cover with remaining broth and juices to reheat later in the slow cooker for 1 hour.

Serves 15-20.

Brisket portion just out of the smoker

Easy Potluck Chili

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     This is the mildest, most user-friendly chili that I make. That's why I call it Potluck Chili. It's perfect for taking to any event because it will please even the most delicate eaters. It's not hot, spicy or too over powering. This simple chili has a lot of flavor and is pleasantly filling. I brought this to a carry-in at work and it went over very well, (like there was none to take home). Try it and you'll see why.

Easy Potluck Chili
2 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 (15 oz.) can hot chili beans
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes with onion, chili-ready
1/2 can diced green chilies with juice
1 tsp. roasted garlic, chopped
1 cup Spicy V-8 juice
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 T. chili powder (or more to taste)
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
 
Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker. Mix well to combine.
Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours.

Serves 10-12.

Optional toppings - chopped onion, shredded cheese, oyster crackers

Texas Bean Dip

Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

    Not too long ago the girls and I got together for card night. We all bring a dish, play cards and laugh a lot. Sometimes it gets a little loud, but it's always funny. 
   Since it was getting close to "game day," we all brought dishes to share that had a football food theme. Appetizers and cards just seem to go together. 
   The dish I brought to share was a bean dip that featured some Tex-Mex flavors that was so simple. Most of the ingredients are just your normal kitchen staples. It didn't take long at all to fix and was best right out of the oven, all warm and creamy.
   One note, this is very rich and filling, so a little goes a long way. It's easy to cut the batch in half. Sturdy crackers or chips are recommended since it's a tad thick.

Texas Bean Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into chunks
2 cans refried beans
1can diced green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
4 cups (2-8 oz. pkg.) shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat a 13x9x2 baking dish.

In a large microwavable bowl, place cream cheese and sour cream. Cook in microwave 1 minutes and stir or whisk well to blend.

Add remaining ingredients except 1 pkg. or 2 cups of the shredded cheese to the softened cheese mixture. Stir well to combine.

Pour into 13x9 pan and spread evenly. Top with remaining cheese and bake 25- 30 minutes until cheese is melted and hot.

Serves 10-12.

Slow Cooker Drunken Smokies

Photo courtesy Mark Short.

    Once a month our company has "food day." We all pitch in, bring a dish and share. It makes work a little more fun. Recently, our theme was football food and all kinds of goodies came in for testing. There were dips, cookies and soups.
     The most talked about dish of the day was these drunken little baby hot dogs that tasted like a shot of booze with each bite. What a surprise. But upon reheating later, these little smokies were just fine with a nice BBQ flavor.
    I had to ponder this because usually any alcohol cooks off. But maybe not when all the moisture is captured in the slow cooker? Once the lid was removed and the pot sat for a while, the strong alcohol flavor had time and means to evaporate. This is so well worth giving a test run.

Slow Cooker Drunken Smokies

Recipe courtesy of Mark Short, 
Princeton Daily Clarion Production Manager
2 - 18 oz. bottles BBQ sauce

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup ketchup     

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chopped onion, (minced onion can be substituted) 

1/2 cup bourbon         

2 - 32 oz. pkg. little smokies

Mix all ingredients except smokies in a slow cooker. 

Stir well to combine. Add smokies.

Cook on low in 4-5 hours. 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   For those of you who like chicken wings, but aren't a big fan of BBQ or buffalo sauces, here is a different twist on wings. My son made these one Sunday afternoon and we were very pleased with the outcome. There's a slight garlic flavor and the cheese coating provides a nice mellow crunch. Boiling the wings before hand seems to keep them moist (like a brine) and helps reduce baking time. It's a nice change of taste for wings.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Cooking spray

3 quarts cold water

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup salt

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. rosemary

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 pinch salt

3 T. olive oil, or as needed

1 T. ground black pepper

2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

4 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded

2 T. Italian bread crumbs

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat foil with cooking spray.

Combine water, vinegar, 1/4 cup salt, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and rosemary in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Add chicken wings, return to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove chicken wings with a slotted spoon to a cooling rack and allow to dry for 15 minutes.

Mash garlic and a pinch of salt together in a mortar and pestle until smooth.

Combine mashed garlic, olive oil, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add chicken wings and bread crumbs; toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. 

Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Recipe can easily be cut in half.

Spicy Ritz Crackers

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    I found this recipe somewhere floating on the internet and saved it to try sometime. Well sometime turned out to be at the last girls poker game. If you like a little heat, this will do you well. It's not your typical Ritz cracker.

Spicy Ritz Crackers
1 stick melted butter
1 packet Ranch dressing mix, dry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 T. red pepper flakes (less if you wish)
1 tsp. garlic powder.
1 box Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss box of Ritz crackers gently with all 5 ingredients.

Spread on a sprayed baking sheet or two.

Bake in 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes to prevent over browning.

Slippery Nipple Pudding Shots

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     A while back the girls and I got together for a night of cards. We all bring a dish to share. Of the variety of dishes, the real star that night was a twist on the familiar Jell-O shot, only using pudding. One of the girls brought Mudslide, Slippery Nipple and Pistachio pudding shots. How creative! 
    These are made by mixing pudding, alcohol and Cool Whip. The combinations are almost limitless and very easy to make. If you have an upcoming party this might be something to think about.

Slippery Nipple Pudding Shots
1 small box (3.4 oz.) instant butterscotch pudding
3/4 cup milk
3 oz. Irish cream liqueur
3 oz. butterscotch schnapps
8 oz. Cool Whip

Combine cold milk and pudding in a medium bowl. Mix with an electric mixer or whisk until smooth. Blend in your choice of liquors.

Fold in the Cool Whip until thoroughly blended. 

Fill cups and chill.

Mexicorn‬ Dip

‪

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    While looking through my files of saved recipes that I'd like to get around to trying, I came upon this recipe for a dip using just 6 ingredients. One of my friends had shared this and I tucked it away for a rainy day. With a girls poker game coming up, this seemed like the perfect time to try it. I needed something easy, simple and that would travel well without having to be kept warm or reheat. This worked out great and the girls all gave it a thumbs up.

Mexicorn Corn‬ Dip
2 cans Mexi-corn
1 can Rotel
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream

Drain corn and place in medium mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix well.

Place covered in fridge for 1-2 hours to chill and combine flavor.

Serve with scoops, crackers or chips.

Makes 4 cups.

Honey Sriracha Chicken Bites

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     Our family is one that loves chicken wings, but most of us prefer them boneless. It's just easier eating that way, nothing to worry about or to get in your way. Even though some of us like Buffalo-style wings, we could do without that bite of vinegar. 
     At a recent family dinner, our son came up with this modified recipe for chicken wings. He used Sriracha to avoid the vinegar wang and chicken breasts chunks instead of wings so that bones weren't an issue.
     These little bites were tender and moist with just a little heat on the back side, but it wasn't over powering or long lasting. The slow cooker keeps them moist and enriches the flavor. This was an excellent appetizer and would also be good in a taco or stir-fry.

Staying warm with sauce, just out of oven.

Honey Sriracha Chicken Bites
2 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders, cut in 4 pieces
3/4 cup Sriracha sauce
3/4 cup honey
2 T. butter
1/4 cup lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Spray coat and line a small cookie sheet. Sit spray coated rack on cookie sheet.

In slow cooker combine everything except chicken. Stir well to combine.

Add chicken chunks and stir to coat and combine thoroughly.

Cook on low 6-8 hours to combine flavors.

Spread chicken on a spray coated baking pan and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes to just crisp edges and caramelize.

Serve warm with toothpick on a plate.

Offer remaining sauce as a side dip.

Chili Cheese Dogs in a Blanket

Little dogs just out of oven. Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

    Do you have football food leftovers? It seems as though there is always just a little of this-and-that remaining from game day. With an extra roll of crescent dough, a bit of chili and some of those little smokies, I came up with an idea of how to make 4 simple ingredients into a whole new dish. 
   This idea takes a little chili cheese dog and puts that piggy into a blanket. What fun. It's a hand-held, two-bite snack that would make a nice side for a bowl of soup on a chilly night.

Chili Cheese Dogs in a Blanket

1/2 cup coney sauce, thin without beans

16 little smokies

1/3 cup shredded cheese

Dogs ready to roll.

1 pkg. crescent dough sheet

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet.

Roll crescent dough onto cookie sheet. Cut to form 8 rectangles.

Place 1 smoky on each square, top with 1 tsp. coney sauce and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. 

(Note: resist the urge to overfill or the filling will leak out.)

Carefully roll dough around smokies pinching edges together. 

Bake for 15-17 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. 

Makes 16.

Ready for oven.

Cheesecake Bites

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

      Recently we had a potluck at work where my coworkers brought in various football foods. There were a variety of dogs, dips and other snacks. The only dessert was this little tidbit that I threw together as a back up.
     This bite-sized snack couldn't be easier. You flavor the cream cheese and spread it on a layer of crescent rolls. The dough is light and the filling not overly sweet. It's just a good combination. The bites also did very well at room temperature, so that you don't have to worry about serving them warm.

Cheesecake Bites

2 cans crescent rolls

2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake bite ingredients.

sprinkles of cinnamon and sugar

1/8 cup honey, if desired as garnish

Unroll and spread 1 can of crescent rolls on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish (or 8 x 8 if you want to cut the recipe in half).

Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and vanilla until well combined. Spread over crescent roll.

Unroll remaining crescent roll and lay over cream cheese. Melt butter and spread over crescent rolls. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes in 350 degree oven until slightly browned.

Drizzle with a little honey if desired. Let cool, slice and serve. 

Makes 32 bites.

Half batch of bites just out of the oven.

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Bailey's Pudding Shots

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

      Looking to be the star of the party? Then try bringing these creamy little treats that are flavored with Irish cream and a touch of vodka. The chocolate pudding adds such a smooth texture that it makes them taste like chocolate mousse with a kick. They're creamy and delicious.

Bailey's Pudding Shots
1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
3/4 cup of milk

Easy ingredients.

1/4 cup of vanilla vodka 
1/2 cup of Bailey's Irish cream
8 oz. whipped topping

Mix pudding and milk with an electric mixer for a minute or two. Blend in alcohol slowly and mix well. With a spoon, slowly stir in whipped topping until well combined.

Spoon pudding mix into individual plastic shot glasses or serving cups with lids. 

Store in freezer.

These can be served frozen or at room temperature. However, they are easier to eat and very creamy at room temperature.

Makes 34 (of the shot glass size that I used).

Mini Little Heart Attacks

Recipe courtesy of Mark Short.

    

    Many of us love bacon and we'll try it numerous ways. I've had it deep fried, candied and wrapped around all kinds of items. This creation was a new one to me - molding sausage around a smokie link and then wrapping bacon around the whole little bomb.
    Anyone with gout should stay away from this creation, but if you have pork on hand and want to try something new, this is an interesting little tidbit. It was a big hit at a recent pot luck at work.

Mini Little Heart Attacks

1/2 pkg. little smokies

1 lb. Bob Evans hot sausage

1/2 lb. bacon, cut strips in half

Preheat oven to 325.

Spray coat baking sheet or dish.

Form sausage into a wad the size of a golf ball.

Wrap sausage around smokie (like a stuffed meatball).

Wrap bacon around sausage and insert toothpick to hold.

Bake in 325 oven for 40 minutes until bacon is crisp. 
Makes a dozen.

Slow Cooker Taco Dip

Recipe courtesy of Madonna Smith.

    Any dish that can be made ahead of time is a bonus. This easy dip has only 4 ingredients and combines good flavor and texture. It can also be made ahead of time so that you're free to take care of other things. How easy is that? Slow cooker recipes with great taste and easy ingredients are always a nice find.

Slow Cooker Taco Dip

1 lb. ground chuck

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 jar medium salsa

1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup

In skillet, brown ground chuck, chopping fine with a spatula. Drain.

Put meat mixture in crock pot and add all other ingredients.

Stir and cover. Cook on low 3-4 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Sriracha Chicken Dip

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner. Recipe courtesy of Ryan Spear.

     Do you like the heat of a Buffalo sauce but not the wang of the vinegar? Then this chicken dip made with Sriracha sauce will add some heat without any bitter after taste.
     At work recently we had a pot luck of football food and this dip was a great compliment to the mix. Not only does this have the creaminess of a dip with a touch of heat, but there's also meat for substance. This is not only easy but very tasty.

Sriracha Chicken Dip

2 large cans shredded chicken

1- 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup Sriracha sauce

Optional:  1/3 cup ranch dressing (to thin if desired)

shredded cheese, as garnish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Mix well.

Pour into greased/sprayed 8x8x2-inch baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through. Stir.

Serve with crackers and/or vegetables.

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Honey Sriracha Smokies

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

       
    Over the last few weeks I've been playing around with different ideas for little smokies. Yes, those little wienies about the size of your little finger that have this smoked meat flavor.
    I found a recipe for a wing sauce that uses Sriracha hot sauce and honey to balance the sweet and heat, so I tried it on the smokies. These turned out really good and the crew at work gave them a "thumbs up" but we all agreed that the sauce would be really good on wings or meatballs, too.

Honey Sriracha Smokies (Hot Little Dogs)

1 - 16 oz. pkg. Hillshire Farms Little Smokies

3/4 cup Sriracha sauce

3/4 cup honey

2 T. butter

1/4 cup lime juice

 

In slow cooker combine everything except smokies. Stir well to combine.

Add links and stir to coat and combine thoroughly. Cook on low 2-3 hours to combine flavors.

Serve warm with toothpick on a plate. Offer remaining sauce as a side dip.

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