Category Archives: Appetizers

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.

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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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Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Dip

This recipe is one I had saved for years and I finally had a chance to make it and I’m kicking myself for not making it sooner. It was delicious, unique and would make a great dip to bring to a holiday party! I used to HATE brussels sprouts – my mom used to eat them all the time but would microwave a bag of frozen ones and I’d have to eat at least one. They were always mussy and gross. Over the past few years, I’ve found that I like them either roasted or sauteed….no steaming of sprouts in this house!

Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprouts Dip | Join Us, Pull up a Chair

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BLT Deviled Eggs

I joined a new blogging group called The Fantastical Food Fight and I’m excited to share my first post, but first a little about the food fight. Each month, we decide on a theme – it could be as simple as an ingredient or a specific type of food. Then all the participants share their recipe on the same day! Fun, right?! This month’s theme was deviled eggs. I’ve been eating a lot of hard-boiled eggs for breakfast lately…still trying to do the low carb thing (it’s not going well), so I knew I could whip something up with what I had on hand in the kitchen. I had all the ingredients to make BLTs…so why not combine them? It was amazing and we all inhaled them with dinner the other night.

So you want to know something crazy, after blogging for 7 years, I have never made traditional deviled eggs! I’m really shocked, but I definitely will be experimenting more and I can’t wait to see what all my fellow bloggers share in the blog hop below!

BLT Deviled Eggs | Join Us, Pull up a Chair #fantasticalfoodfight

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Pepperoni and Cheese Dip – Secret Recipe Club

If you’re looking for an appetizer to take to your next party, this dip is for you! I’m excited to share today’s recipe from my Secret Recipe Club reveal, Our Table for Seven. Erin’s blog is all about her experience in cooking and baking. We have very similar styles and I found so many recipes that my family would enjoy – including Cheesy Chicken & Rice Soup, Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps and Pumpkin Scones.

Back to the dip, it tastes just like pepperoni pizza! It was the perfect snack while watching football yesterday (yes, I waited to make this recipe the day before I had to post it). Unfortunately, the Eagles lost….but we lifted our spirits by devouring this dip. Erin made this in a slow cooker, but I decided to whip it up on the stove top and worked out perfectly.

Pepperoni and Cheese Dip | Join Us, Pull up a Chair #secretrecipeclub

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Melon, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Skewers

A couple of weeks ago, my family had their annual picnic at my aunt and uncle’s house. Of course I needed to find a great recipe to bring and decided to poll my Facebook friends to see what I should bring. There were four choices and the majority chose these delicious and easy skewers. It was the perfect appetizer especially since it was another hot and humid summer day!

They’re really easy to make and only four ingredients! I cut the cantaloupe ahead of time and then it took me less than 10 minutes to put these together.

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