Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Anyone else seen this recipe floating around Pinterest?

I've been following Gina for a while now, and as soon as she posted this one, I pinned it right away. It sounded too good to be true. Cheesy, crunchy, tasty mozzarella sticks that weren't loaded with calories and fat? No way.

Since I'm trying to be a little more health conscious, I decided to give these a whirl for the Superbowl. My husband's family was coming over for the game, and this included our teenage nephews. What better chance to try out a (sneaky) healthy recipe than when I've got teenage boys in the house?!

When I told them I was making them, I immediately got a "Oh, those are gonna be good..." from the 15 yr old. And wouldn't you know it? They loved them.

The only thing I need to stress for these to work is to make sure you follow the freezing process. Otherwise, you run the risk of them turning into a pile of cheesy goo.

Thankfully, it didn't happen to me. They were amazing. For you WW peeps, each one is only 2 points. Crazy, right?!

I also recommend getting Sargento cheese. I went the cheaper route, and even though nobody else seemed bothered, I could tell there was more salt in them than I would've liked. Sargento is just better anyway, I think. So yeah. These were a hit.

Skinny Baked Mozzarella Sticks

(Recipe by Gina)

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Ingredients

12 sticks part-skim, reduced sodium mozzarella string cheese (Sargento)

1 large egg, beaten

2 tbsp flour

5 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

5 tbsp panko crumbs

2 tsp parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried parsley

olive oil cooking spray

Directions

Cut

cheese in half to give you 24 pieces.

Place

cheese in the freezer until cheese is frozen.

In small bowl,

whisk

the egg.

Place

the flour on another small dish. In separate bowl,

combine

bread crumbs, panko, parmesan cheese and dried parsley.

Dip

the frozen sticks in flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then coat with the crumbs.

Repeat

this process with the remaining cheese placing them on a tray with wax paper. Place cheese back into the freezer until ready to bake (this is a must or they will melt before the crumbs get golden).

When ready to bake

preheat

oven to 400° F.

Line

a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly

spray

with oil.

Place frozen cheese sticks on baking sheet.

Spray

the tops of the mozzarella sticks with a little more oil and

bake

in the bottom third of your oven until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Turn

and

bake

an additional 4 - 5 minutes watching them closely so they don't melt.

Makes 24 pieces.

1-2-3 Mexican Bean Dip

This is one of my most requested recipes ever.
If you're looking for a great Superbowl snack, this is it.

My husband had a friend come to town last year, and I had just made this. Hubs decided he wanted it all to himself and didn't share with his friend. I ended up having to make two the next time he had friends over. In fact, the same buddy helped me with some computer stuff, and when I asked him how he wanted me to pay him? He asked me to make this dip.

Whenever I take it to family functions, parties, etc; it's always devoured in like 10 minutes.

1-2-3 Mexican Bean Dip

(Recipe by Mary Corpening Barber & Sara Corpening Whiteford)

(sorry. no matter how great of a camera you have,

Mexican food never seems to photograph all that well... or maybe it's just me?)

Ingredients

•  1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups medium salsa
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (even if you hate mayo, don't skip this. my husband can't stand mayo, yet he can't get enough of this stuff)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and chopped
• 1 cup (2 ounces) grated extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese (sometimes I'll use the "Mexican blend" instead... both are great)
• 1 jalapeno chili, cut into rounds (about 20)
• Tortilla chips for serving

Directions

Combine the refried beans, 1/4 cup of the salsa, the chili powder, cumin, and oregano in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch round ceramic casserole dish (at least 2 inches deep) or an 8-by-8-by-2 1/4-inch glass baking dish.
Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, red onion, cilantro, and onion powder in a small bowl. Spread over the top of the beans mixture.
Combine the bell pepper and the remaining 1 1/4 cups salsa in a small bowl. Gently spread over the sour cream mixture, being careful not to mix the layers. Top with the cheese and jalapeno and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do Ahead: This dip can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Swoon Pies

I saw these in the most recent issue of Southern Living and had to try them.

We were invited to a ProBowl party last night and were asked to bring a dessert. I figured it was a perfect excuse to make them. Unfortunately, both my husband and little man got sick, so we had to miss out. Consequently, I'm left with a ton of these things (I made a double batch).

This recipe is one of those that's not hard to make, there are just several steps. But if you do give them a go, I promise you won't regret it. It's like eating a s'more in the form of a whoopie pie!

Swoon Pies

(Recipe by Southern Living)

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Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

Parchment paper

Marshmallow Filling

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

2 teaspoons shortening

Toppings: chopped roasted salted pecans, chopped crystallized ginger, sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in graham cracker crumbs.
Beat butter and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.
Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake, in batches, at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until set and bottoms are golden brown. Remove cookies (on parchment paper) to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Turn 12 cookies over, bottom sides up.
Spread each with 1 heaping tablespoonful Marshmallow Filling. Top with remaining 12 cookies, bottom sides down, and press gently to spread filling to edges. Freeze on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet 30 minutes or until filling is set.

Pour water to depth of 1 inch in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer; place chocolate and shortening in a medium-size heatproof bowl over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat, and let cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove cookies from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes.

Dip half of each cookie sandwich into melted chocolate mixture. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired toppings, and freeze 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.
Makes 1 dozen whoopie pies.

Marshmallow Filling

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add remaining ingredients, beating until well blended.

TRY THIS TWIST!
Full Swoon Pies: Increase semisweet chocolate morsels to 1 (16-oz.) package and shortening to 3 tsp. Prepare recipe as directed, dipping cookie sandwiches completely in chocolate mixture. (Use a fork to easily remove sandwiches from chocolate.)

Note:
Cookie sandwiches may be covered with plastic wrap and stored in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Christmas Popcorn

I made this twice in the last week (one was a "test" batch, the next for our Christmas party). It's SO easy and people went crazy over it. Even if you're not having a party, don't let that stop you. Pop in a Christmas movie, put on some pj's, and spend about 5 minutes putting this together.

Perfect Christmas snack. It also makes a great gift!

Christmas Popcorn

(Recipe by Tiffany)

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Ingredients

• 1 bag popped popcorn (get the non-buttered kind. otherwise, it gets all mushy)
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup white chocolate morsels, melted
• dash of salt
• colored sprinkles

Directions

Pop popcorn. Microwave white chocolate morsels for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time, until melted. In a large bowl, combine popcorn and white chocolate until all of the popcorn has been coated. Spread on a large cookie sheet and sprinkle the sprinkles and a little salt on the popcorn. Wait until chocolate has hardened and enjoy!!

Sausage Balls

We recently threw a bridal shower for one of my best buds.

My mom was in charge of the food, and it was there that I was reminded of this recipe. Now, honestly? I don't like sausage. Not even remotely. You're lucky if you can get me to eat pepperoni. So for me to like this? You know it's gotta be good.

It's super simple (4 ingredients). So if you have a holiday party you're either throwing or attending, bring these. Never met anyone that didn't like them.

Sausage Balls

(Recipe by Paula Deen)

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Ingredients

• 4 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 1 1-pound package ground sausage
• 1/8 tablespoon Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in a large glass bowl. Mix well with your fingers. The mixture will be very crumbly.
Form into 1 inch balls, squeezing the mixture so it holds together, then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls.
Place the balls on the baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. To prevent sticking, move the balls with a spatula halfway through cooking.

There's also a dip that goes with it, but we didn't make it. So I can't give you my honest opinion on it. But if you want to give it a go, who am I to stand in your way? :)
Makes about 5 dozen sausage balls.

Dip: Mix together 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp mustard.



Garlic Chicken Puffs

We had a luncheon this week at church for all of the women's Bible studies that meet up on Tuesdays. Everyone signed up to bring something. My signature dishes are usually desserts. I'm just better at baking, I think. Probably because my sweet tooth never fails me; I can tell if something will come out right just by looking at the picture. But I brought a dessert last time, so I figured it was time to push myself out of my comfort zone. However, I decided to stick with something simple.

I found this recipe and decided to give it a whirl.

It was inexpensive, tasty, and fed a lot of people. I think next time I'll take it up a notch and add some herbs... maybe some basil, oregano, etc. But they're definitely a great snack food to bring to a party, shower, or any other event where hungry people will be. And I got a couple of random compliments, so the fact that they're a crowd-pleaser is a plus.

Have a great weekend!!

Garlic Chicken Puffs

(Recipe by Cheryl)

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken*
• 2 cans refrigerator crescent rolls

Directions

Mix cream cheese, garlic and chicken until well blended.

Unroll crescent rolls and cut each triangle into 2 triangles (when you unroll the crescent rolls, 2 triangles are attached making a big square, I just followed the perforation on the opposite side and made an X, creating 4 little triangles).

Place 1 tsp of chicken mixture on the center of each triangle and fold the corners in over the creamy mixture. Place on cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with no stick spray. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes (mine were ready in about 10 minutes, so watch them closely).

*For cooked chicken, I used the leftovers from my favorite oven roasted chicken dish I make. If you're not planning on making chicken the night before, you could always grab an precooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

Witches Hats Cookies

These are a great Halloween classic, and they're so easy to make.

This comes straight out of one of my favorite Betty Crocker recipe books.

Get the kids involved and celebrate together!

Happy Halloween!!

Witches Hats Cookies

(Original recipe by Betty Crocker)

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Ingredients

• 32 Hershey's® Kisses® brand milk chocolates, unwrapped   
• 1 package (11 1/2 ounces) fudge-striped shortbread cookies (32)
• 1 tube (4.25 ounces) orange or red decorating icing

Directions

Attach 1 chocolate candy to chocolate bottom of each cookie, using decorating icing. Pipe decorating icing around base of milk chocolate candy.

Tips: Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a shallow bowl. Make a face with miniature chocolate chips and decorator candies; top with a Witches' Hat. Quick, eat the witch before she melts!

You can use any 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-inch chocolate or chocolate-covered cookies instead of the shortbread cookies.

Yields 32 cookies.

                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                               

Monkey Muffins

My little guy turned 2 earlier this month, but we didn't get around to throwing his "friend party" (because we have a bajillion family parties) until last night. It was a blast, and I'll be doing a whole post about it soon on my regular family blog. He absolutely adores Curious George, so the party theme was obviously easy to put together. What I love is figuring out fun foods to go along with parties.

You already know I love me some pioneer woman (did you see her Food Network debut this weekend?! She's so cute). So when I saw these on her cooking site, I knew they'd be perfect.

And they were.

They were a TOTAL hit. Everyone kept saying how incredible these tasted. One guest didn't realize I had made them. She thought I'd bought them. Yep. She made my night.

Anyways, do yourself a favor and bring these to your next party or bake them as a gift. Or just have a completely sinful weekend and make them for yourself. :)

Monkey Muffins

(Original recipe by Ree Drummond) 

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Ingredients



Leftover Bread Dough (or Refrigerated Biscuit Dough, Cut Into Thirds)

Butter

Sugar

Ground Cinnamon

Sweetened, Condensed Milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to muffin tins. Sprinkle in sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls (or cut refrigerated biscuit dough into thirds). Place three into each muffin tin.
Top with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle on more sugar and cinnamon.
Allow dough to rise, if applicable, or just go ahead and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
Remove from oven and immediately drizzle plenty of sweetened condensed milk over the top of each one. Be generous! Allow rolls to sit for a little while to absorb sweet, sticky milk.
Scoop out with a spoon and serve to hungry humans.

Yield: 12 servings

Basil Butter

This summer has been awesome to the basil in my garden. Seriously, my basil sings praises to the sun, it's so happy. It's gotten a little out of control, actually.

This has left me scrounging around for new recipes to try out... something besides the obvious pasta and pesto. I found this recipe allrecipes.com the other day and had to try it out.

I love flavored butter. I mean, I love butter in general, but I especially love it when it's got a fun flavor. Whether it's apple butter, garlic-herb butter, or whatever... I'm a big fan.

This one didn't disappoint. The best part is that you can freeze it and use it again later. It'll give you that fresh basil taste in the middle of the winter. Awesome, right??

I'll definitely be making this recipe again when I need to use up the last bit of my basil before the frost hits. But you don't need a garden as a reason to try it out. Grab some basil next time you're at a local market or at the grocery store. It's worth trying it out, because you don't have to use this with just bread. Try it on chicken, fish, or cooked veggies.

The best part?

As one reviewer put it, this recipe is only limited by your imagination. You can sub the basil for cilantro and the lemon for lime juice. Use dill or chives for a different flavor. The possibilities are endless. Have some fun with it!

Basil Butter

(Original recipe by Emily Chaney.

Modified by me.)

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 pound butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Directions

In a food processor, chop basil and parsley. Add butter, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and garlic; blend until smooth. Drop by half-tablespoons onto a baking sheet; freeze. Remove from baking sheet and store in freezer bags.

Veggie Bites

Last weekend, I hosted a baby shower for a friend.

Throughout the shower, my mom and I (she helped me with the food) kept getting told, "This is the best shower food I've EVER.HAD."

One of the favorites happened to be this recipe.

From across the room, I saw one woman literally holding one of these up in the air, examining it to see if she could figure out how it was made. Cracked me up! And of course, I then gave them the recipe.

These are great for showers, but really, they're perfect for any kind of part (especially in the summer).

I don't remember where we originally got this recipe. Actually, it was passed on by friends of ours who were hosting a home party (for candles and lotions and stuff).

We loved the appetizer and have used it tons of times ever since.
There are a million variations of this, so feel free to experiment.

Veggie Bites

Ingredients

• 1 (8 oz) can of refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 1 (1 oz) package Ranch dressing mix
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 finely chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet. Stretch and flatten to form a single rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the Ranch dressing mix. Adjust the amount of dressing mix to taste. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange carrots, bell peppers, green onions, and broccoli on top. Chill the refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Cut into bite-sized squares to serve.

Easy Asian-Style Chicken Appetizers

I know we're all excited about Thanksgiving coming up and everything, but you realize that once those leftovers are stuffed in the back of the fridge, it's already time to start planning (or just attending) Christmas parties!

I love party food. It's like going to the grocery store and eating all those little samples, but you can come back for more. And you don't feel like a cow, because the majority of the food is bird sized! You just have to be smart about what you pick up. Not only for calorie reasons (but who watches those during the holidays...), but because you don't want to be left staaarving after the food is gone. Even if you're trying to impress your friend's cute neighbor by not scarfing cake, eating nothing but broccoli off the veggie tray is definitely a bad idea (also, don't eat broccoli at a party. it gets in your teeth, and people are just too awkward to tell you about it).

 

So on to the recipe...

 

This is the perfect party food. It's yummy, filling, and won't have the cute neighbor walking away disgusted by your teeth. Also, very easy to make!

 

It's from kraftfoods.com and is so worth trying.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

(ps. the caps... their emphasis on the brands, not mine. although I do agree, there's just no substituting a Ritz).

 

3 Tbsp. KRAFT GOOD SEASONS Asian Sesame with Ginger Dressing

1 Tbsp.  KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

1-1/2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken

8   snow peas, chopped

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Dash  freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

24   RITZ Crackers

 

Directions:

MIX dressing and mayo in medium bowl until well blended.
ADD all remaining ingredients except nuts and crackers; mix well.
SPOON chicken mixture onto crackers just before serving; top with nuts.

Makes 12 servings.

Extra tips:

Use a cooked rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to make this dish even easier!

Chicken mixture can be prepared in advance. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 24 hours before using as directed. For best results, spoon onto crackers just before serving.

Chicken and Mixed Veggie Quesadillas

I'm a sucker for any type of quesadilla or taco loaded with veggies. I also prefer chicken instead of beef. So I was excited when I found this one on Food Network's website. It has a ton of flavor, aaaaand... it's super easy! What's not to like?? Ok, well, maybe you won't like it if you hate mushrooms. But seriously, you hardly know they're there. I swear it's worth trying. Come on, be adventurous. ;)

Chicken and Mixed Veggie Quesadillas

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cooked chicken breast halves
• 8 (6 to 8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup chopped red onions
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers (from water-packed jar)
• 1/2 cup sliced artichokes (from water-packed can or jar) ... I know. Ew, right? I promise they're good. Just give it a try. If you really hate them, you can just pick them out. :)
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, for each quesadilla 

Directions

Coat a large skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Set pan over medium heat to preheat. Using a fork, pull chicken meat from bone in shreds.
Arrange tortillas on a flat surface. Top 1 side of each tortilla with an equal amount of chicken, mushrooms, red peppers, and artichokes. Top vegetables with shredded cheese. Fold over tortillas, making a half moon. Place quesadillas in (or on) prepared pan and cook 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese melts.



White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

I made this recipe for my mom's Christmas party a couple of years ago (the same Christmas I found out I was pregnant!). I got it from an old Kraft magazine one of my coworkers gave me. It's so simple, and a big crowd pleaser. It's perfect for any little get togethers and can easily be doubled for a larger group.

 

 

White Chocolate-Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

 

12 OREO Cookies, finely crushed

2 Tbsp.  butter, melted

3 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate, divided

2 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp.  vanilla

2 eggs

1/4 cup  red raspberry preserves

 

HEAT oven to 350ºF. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 8- or 9-inch square pan. Melt 2 chocolate squares as directed on package.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
BAKE 25 to 28 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 5 min.; spread with preserves. Melt remaining chocolate square; drizzle over cheesecake. Cool cheesecake completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Makes 9 servings.

Save 60 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving by preparing with Reduced Fat OREO Cookies, PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese and egg whites.