Category Archives: Appetizers

Garlic and Onion Cheddar Cheese Ball

Do you ever find yourself with a bunch of random ingredients in the refrigerator and want to use them up before they go bad … or is it just me?

I had a block of cream cheese that I needed to use and thought it would be great to make an appetizer for Easter dinner a couple weeks ago. I threw together this cheese ball and it was a hit.The flavors of the garlic, onions and cheese go so nicely together. I paired it with pita chips, but it would go great with vegetables or crackers. You can easily double the recipe to make a large ball or make multiples for a party.

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Asparagus and Radish Tarts

Happy first day of spring! I’m so ready for warmer weather, longer days and the start of the growing season. This recipe reminds me so much of spring – asparagus, radishes and ricotta. What do you love about spring?

This is another simple recipe and can easily be made ahead of time. It would be the perfect way to start an Easter dinner as these starts can hang out in the refrigerator for up to four hours before they need to be baked. I think next time I might use sun-dried tomato pesto and top with some crispy bacon. It’s a great base recipe for different variations.

I’m excited to share this recipe in this month’s Fantastical Food Fight! As you can guess, the theme was asparagus. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else made this month. My family is a big fan of asparagus and I’m always looking for new ways to serve it.

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Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms

I love mushrooms especially ones that stuffed! This past weekend, I bought a pack of large mushrooms from Costco and was planning to make a sausage stuffed version, but stumbled on this recipe for a take on jalapeno poppers.

They are super easy to make and only take a few ingredients. I luckily had everything in my fridge to make them except for a jalapeno. I love when I have the majority of ingredients to make a recipe in my fridge and pantry.

These were creamy and delicious. The jalapeno brought the perfect amount of heat and the mushrooms held up to the heaping of stuffing. This recipe makes 6 large button mushrooms, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you want them for a party.

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Basil and Sun-dried Tomato Pinwheels

I’m excited to kick off #CookoutWeek 2018 with an appetizer recipe. As I was planning my recipes, I thought it would be fun to reveal them as courses! We’ll start with an appetizer and end with dessert later this week. It was the perfect recipe too because my basil is OUT.OF.CONTROL!!! I’ve made 2 big batches of pesto and this recipe….and I have more to go. If you have any recipes using basil, please share them! 🙂

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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pinwheels

This weekend I went to a basket party fundraiser for a local charity and everyone at our table was bringing appetizers or desserts. I was looking for something that would help fill me up and keep me from snacking on all the delicious treats. I found this recipe for pinwheels and knew it would be perfect….plus my kids would eat the leftovers!

These were quick and easy to make, I should have let my daughter make them for me since I felt like I was running all over the place this weekend. Next time!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pinwheels | Join Us, Pull up a Chair

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded/cubed
1 lb thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 packet ranch seasoning
4 large tortillas (I used low carb flat outs)

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, bacon, cream cheese and cheese. Mix until well combined. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the mixture and mix until incorporated. Divide the filling between the four tortillas. Spread the filling across the mixture and then roll up. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove and slice the roll into 1 inch slices. They can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature.

Source: Dinner, then Dessert

Rose Apple Brie Bites

Are you looking for an amazing dessert to impress your guests? This is it! My entire family is a fan of brie and I was looking for a fancy dessert to try out. These appetizer that look like roses are packed full of raspberry jam, sweet apples and gooey brie….all wrapped up in puff pastry. Delicious!

These appetizers do take a little time to make, but it’s worth it. The original recipe calls for soaking your apples in red wine. I skipped that step but will be doing that the next time I make them – the apples become rosy colored! I’ll list the steps below with the red wine soak, so you can try them either way.

Rose Apple Brie Bites | Join Us, Pull up a Chair
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Baked Brie with Sun-dried Tomatoes

My family loves baked brie and I’m always looking for new recipes to try. I usually make a version with brown sugar and pecans, but was searching for a savory recipe and found this one. It’s so simple, delicious and so pretty – perfect for your next holiday party. The creamy brie goes great with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and a little bit of freshness from the parsley – it’s the perfect bite!

Baked Brie with Sun-dried Tomatoes | Join Us, Pull up a Chair

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Ricotta Parmesan Garlic Bread

Sometimes you need to indulge a little and this bread is exactly that! This was a HUGE hit with my family – even my picky kids. I guess if you spread cheese – even cheese they don’t like – over bread, they’ll love it. It makes for a great appetizer or compliments an Italian dinner. I’m planning to make it for my next wine tasting! I have the perfect wine to pair with it!

Ricotta Parmesan Garlic Bread | Join Us, Pull up a Chair
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Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Portobello

If you love spinach artichoke dip, you’ll love these stuffed portobello mushrooms! They worked great for meatless Monday dinners served with a green salad or you could cut them into slices for an appetizer.

They’re creamy, cheesy and have the perfect mixture of spinach and artichokes. They’re also were quick and easy to make …plus low carb! You could also make them ahead of time and bake them when you’re ready.

Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Portobello | Join Us. Pull up a Chair

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Cheesy Mushroom Crostini

I’m excited to participate in this year’s #FoodBloggerLove event! This is the second year of the event for food bloggers who want to spread the love by helping to support their fellow food bloggers. It’s similar to other groups I have participated in… you get an assigned blog and then you pick a recipe to make and then share on your blog. My assignment was the blog Annapurnaz – a beginner’s guide to a perfect meal. Rita is the woman behind the blog and is a professor by trade but has a passion for cooking. There were many recipes that I was not familiar as Indian cuisine is not very common where I live. I need to venture out and try some!

I decided to stick with something that I knew would be a hit with my family and chose her recipe for Crispy and Creamy Mushroom Crostini. It was quick and easy to make and the perfect appetizer to enjoy before dinner. It would be great for dinner parties or events where you were going to have heavier appetizers. I’ll definitely be making it again! 

Cheesy Mushroom Crostini | Join Us, Pull up a Chair
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