Spicy Queso Blanco ~ #CincodeMayo Blog Party

April 26, 2013 By 24 Comments

Are you ready to get festive? I hope so, because we’re throwing a Cinco de Mayo blog party. The lovely Anita from Hungry Couple was nice enough to invite me to a food blogging group that celebrates the holidays with delicious recipes. Today we’re sharing our favorite Mexican recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

I hope you like cheese. I mean, who doesn’t? It’s only the best thing on the face of the earth. To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, I made a big ol’ bowl of creamy queso blanco full of spicy peppers.

It’s cheese. It’s dip. It’s cheese dip!

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In my world, the phrase “too much cheese” doesn’t exist. The cheesier, the better.

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This dip is extremely easy to make. Sauté the peppers, add the cheese and milk, and stir until melted and gooey–only 10 minutes to cheesy bliss!

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If you’re making this dip for a party, I recommend keeping it warm in a crockpot so it stays melted and creamy…or you can serve right away and eat the entire bowl by yourself. I like to offer options.

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If you really want to throw a Cinco de Mayo party, then I suggest pairing this dip with a cold Corona or frozen margarita. It’s a must, really!

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Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Check out the other Cinco de Mayo recipes:

Cinco de Mayo Collage2c

1. Alfajores from Roxana’s Home Baking
2. Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Yogurt Sauce from Crumb Blog
3. Classic Flan from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
4. Dulce de Leche Milkshake with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream from Chocolate Moosey
5. Lime Margerita Bars from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
6. Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from Magnolia Days
7. Tropical Fiesta Cocktail from Hungry Couple NYC
8. Paletas – Mexican Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
9. Bizcochitos Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
10. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Gotta Get Baked
11. Vegan Taco Salad from What Smells So Good
12. Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake from Kelly Bakes
13. Spicy Queso Blanco from The Messy Baker
14. Gorditas with Picadillo from Juanita’s Cocina
15. Strawberry Margerita Slurpee from Chocolate Chocolate and More

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Spicy Queso Blanco ~ #CincodeMayo Blog Party
Author: 
Recipe type: Dip, Appetizer
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4
 

Ingredients
  • 1 tbs. canola oil
  • ¾ cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup poblano pepper, diced
  • ¼ cup red pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • ½ cup milk
  • 8 oz. white cheddar
  • 8 oz. habanero or pepper jack cheese
  • 4 dashes of Tabasco
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Tortilla chips

Instructions
  1. Heat the canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano pepper, red pepper, and jalapeño. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers soften, about 5 minutes.
  2. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the milk. Heat the milk for 2 minutes to warm through. Slowly stir in the cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese is fully melted and the queso is smooth. Add Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or transfer to a crockpot set on low to keep warm.

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Smoky Chipotle Hummus, Attack of the Stink Bug, & A #Giveaway

April 16, 2013 By 43 Comments

It’s only the middle of April, and I’m already being overrun with stink bugs. Anyone else?

They’re starting to creep out of their hiding places now that it’s warming up outside. I don’t know where they go when it gets cold–and I don’t want to–but they’re starting to wake up from hibernation.

As I was brushing my teeth last week in our upstairs bathroom, I heard a faint clink on the sink counter. I look over and there’s this beady-eyed little  suit of armor staring at me–stink bug! I know they’re harmless, but they creep me out. They look like little Japanese lanterns with eyes. Gross!

“Squirrel! A stink bug just dropped from the ceiling like a missile. Please come get it out of here,” I yelled.

“It’s just a stink bug. They’re not going to hurt you,” he responded, apathetic to my situation.

“Yeah, it may be harmless, but it’s staring at me. It’s making me uncomfortable in my own bathroom,” I urge.

“I’ll see you when I get home.” The door slams, and he’s gone.

What’s the point of having a husband if he’s not going to save me from unwanted insects? Ugh, no good husband of mine. I was left to face the wrath of the stink bug alone.

I did the only thing I knew how to do. I ignored the beady-eyed suit of armor and went about my business of blow drying my hair. The entire time I was drying my hair, I had one eye on the bug. For awhile, it didn’t move, so I felt pretty safe. No sooner I took my eye of the thing, it crawled to the top of my soap bottle. There it was at the precipice of the bottle, just staring at me. I’m not going to lie, I was freaking out.

I think I blacked out, because after that, the unforgivable happened. I was pointing my powerful blow dryer at it, and before I had time to think, I let it rip. Whirrrrrr!

Bye-bye, stink bug.

Enough of the stink bugs. Let’s talk about food.

Not only are you getting a delicious recipe today, but I’m giving away one of my favorite things in the whole world–nail polish! I don’t know about you, but I love the stuff. I’m currently wearing Flashbulb Fuchsia by O.P.I on my tootsies and Passion gel color by Gelish on my fingers. I’m feeling springy! Bring on the pool boys and pina coladas, because this gal is ready for summer.

First things first, the food. I made a delicious, guilt-free snack. How do you feel about smoky chipotle hummus?

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I still remember the first time I experienced homemade hummus. One of my patients–a pakistani man–was nice enough to share his homemade hummus with us. After telling him I loved to cook, he was nice enough to share his recipe and method with me.

His hummus was the real deal. It was fresh, velvety smooth, and delicious. After the first bite, I knew I would never go back to the store-bought hummus.

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I’ve been experimenting with hummus recipes since the day my pakistani patient shared his recipe with me.

This recipe happens to be one of my favorites.

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I cook with chipotles a lot. I can’t help it; I love the smoky peppers. They’re a great way to add a ton of flavor, a touch of smokiness, and a dash of heat to a dish. I’m addicted!

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This recipe is incredibly simple to throw together. Throw everything into a food processor and pulse. Simple!

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Dip.

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Munch!

Now for the giveaway. Here’s the line-up:

That's berry daring

That’s Berry Daring by O.P.I

Plugged in Plum

Plugged-In Plum by O.P.I

towel boy toy

And Towel Boy Toy by China Glaze

Required entry:  Leave me a comment letting me know which color is your favorite.

Additional entries:

Follow The Messy Baker on Pinterest
Subscribe to The Messy Baker via email
Follow The Messy Baker on Facebook
Follow The Messy Baker on Twitter
Follow The Messy Baker on Google Plus

Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

That’s 6 chances to win!

***This giveaway is for the above three bottles of nail polish. The giveaway is open to US residents only and will run from Tuesday, April 16th to 6:00 p.m. EST on Monday, April 22cnd. The winner will be chosen by random draw. I will notify the winner by email and they will have two days to respond before another winner is chosen.

5.0 from 2 reviews

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Smoky Chipotle Hummus
Author: 
Recipe type: Dip, Appetizer
Prep time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • 1-15.5 oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained (save the liquid) and rinsed
  • 2 tbs. garbanzo bean liquid
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbs. chipotle in adobo
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tbs. cilantro
  • 1 tbs. jalapeño, minced
  • Tortilla chips

Instructions
  1. Drain the garbanzo beans, saving 2 tablespoons of the liquid for the hummus. Rinse the beans and set aside.
  2. Add the garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times. Add the beans and pulse a few more times.
  3. Add the chipotle in adobo, lime juice, salt, and garbanzo bean liquid. Pulse until smooth.
  4. Turn the food processor on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus is smooth.
  5. Transfer to a bowl and top with cilantro and minced jalapeños. Serve with tortilla chips or pita bread.

Disclosure: O.P.I and China Glaze have no idea who I am or that I even exist on planet Earth. Would I love to be their pals? Of course! But the fact is, I’m not. This giveaway is hosted my me, Jennie, also know as The Messy Baker, and not O.P.I or China Glaze.

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Slow-Cooker Pizza Dip with Toasted Garlic Bread Dippers ~ #SuperBowl #SundaySupper

February 3, 2013 By 36 Comments

That title lured you to my blog, didn’t it? I knew it would. There’s no resisting a title of that caliber. Garlic bread. Pizza. Dip. Slow-cooker. All scrolled on one line. It’s enticing.

Pizza is great on its own, but turn it into a dip made with spicy sausage, green peppers, and a generous helping of parmesan and mozzarella cheese and you, my friend,  have yourself a party.

The Superbowl is just hours away. Squirrel and I are especially excited–Squirrel more than me–because our team is playing in the Super Bowl. This isn’t just any Super Bowl; this is THE Super Bowl, or, as everyone is calling it, The Harbowl.  Two brothers facing off for the championship… now that’s exciting! I kind of feel bad for the parents. I mean, who are they supposed to cheer for? Go teams? I suppose it’s a win-win for them; either way, one of their sons is going to win the Super Bowl.

This game is particularly special and profound for the Raven’s and the fans because we’re saying good-bye to a dear friend, and amazing linebacker. The Super Bowl marks the last game Ray Lewis will ever play; after a 17-year career, Ray is retiring from the game. He was the heart and soul of the Ravens and will be missed dearly.

I like football, don’t get me wrong, but I really like food. My husband is a huge football fan, and an even bigger Raven’s fan. I’m sure you remember this post with the purple tree and decked-out man cave. Yeah, HUGE fan. A bit obsessive, even. The man eats, breathes, and sleeps football.

Squirrel is nothing but consistent when it comes to food. Every Saturday during football season he comes to me with his game day requests, “So, whatcha makin’ me for the game?” Apparently, he thinks I’m his personal game-day chef. And, since I love cooking, I throw the man a bone, “I don’t know, Squirrel, what would you like me to make you?” I caught the man looking through cooking magazines the other day. When I caught him, he said, “I’m trying to find something good for you to make me for the game.” This garlicky bread bowl pizza dip is what he found. Me being the queen of adaptation, I made it my own.

I’ve already made this dip twice. The first time I made it, I baked it in a garlicky bread bowl. Sounds delicious, right? Well, it was; only it was hard to eat. Definitely not crowd-friendly food. Trying to tear the bread apart was a chore, and the bread soaked up most of the sauce, creating a dry dip. Dry dip is not good dip, so I decided to go down a different path.

I browned the spicy sausage with some red pepper flakes and threw it in the slow-cooker with pizza sauce, onions, green peppers, garlic, and parmesan cheese. I toasted up garlic and butter soaked French bread to use as the dippers. The result was delicious; tastes just like pizza without the crust.

The toasted bread makes for easy dipping without the mess and headache of a bread bowl. Your Super Bowl guests will love it!

Go Ravens! Enjoy!

Check out what the other #SundaySupper members are bringing to the big game:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Appetizers & Snacks:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Main Dishes:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Desserts:

#SundaySupper Super Bowl Tablescape:  10 Tips For A Winning Superbowl Buffet Table fromAn Appealing Plan

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter on Sunday, February 3rd to talk all about our Super Bowl Recipes!  We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world.  Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun.  Follow the #SundaySupperhashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.  Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Print
Slow-Cooker Pizza Dip with Toasted Garlic Bread Dippers
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer, Dip
 

Ingredients
Pizza Dip
  • 1 pound hot sausage, casings removed (I use Jimmy Dean)
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup green pepper, diced
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 28-oz can pizza sauce (Don Pepino is my fav)
  • ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup mozzarella cheese
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
Garlic Bread Dippers
  • 1 French baguette, sliced into ½-inch slices
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
  • ¼-1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions
Pizza Dip:
  1. In the insert of your slow-cooker, add green peppers, onions, garlic, pizza sauce, and parmesan cheese.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and red pepper flakes. Brown the sausage until it’s cooked through, breaking it up with your spatula or wooden spoon as you go.
  3. Add the cooked sausage to the slow-cooker with the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Cook on low for 4 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in mozzarella cheese right before serving.
Garlic Bread Dippers
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Line a sheet pan with the French baguette slices.
  3. In a small sauce pan over low heat, add the butter and garlic cloves. Cook until the butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Once the butter is melted, add the salt and Italian seasoning. Cook on low for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Using a pastry brush, coat the slices with the butter mixture. Top with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
  5. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

 

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: , , , , ,

Creamy Dill Dip

March 31, 2012 By 2 Comments

It’s quite a dreary day in Baltimore. It’s cloudy, cold, and gray outside. The weather has been so erratic this season. I mean, it was just 80 degrees and sunny this past Thursday. I was so excited that I cleaned off my deck in preparation for sittin’ and sippin’ on some cold beverages while reading. Apparently, I’m going to have to wait a little longer.

Since I’m stuck inside today, I decided to utilize the time to create some deliciousness. I should be working on a research paper, but, as usual, I’m procrastinating. I’m a huge procrastinator. I do some of my best writing under pressure. Who can write a boring old research paper when you’ve got food on the brain? Certainly not me. So, I decided to whip up one of my favorite dips- dill dip. I love the stuff. It’s creamy and dilly (is that even a word).

This dip pairs well with fresh cut up veggies and chunks of rye or pumpernickel bread. I didn’t have any bread, but I had tons of veggies just waiting to be eaten in my fridge. If you’re having a party or taking this to a party, you can hollow out the inside of a round loaf of your favorite bread and serve the dill dip in the bread. The best part is eating the bread bowl after the dill dip is gone. Yum!

This dip is a huge crowd pleaser. I’ve taken it to several parties, and it’s always the first to go. The dip is creamy and light. I use light sour cream to cut back on the calories. Don’t worry, you can’t even tell the difference. They’ll never know they’re eating something healthy. I add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice to freshen it up and give a lovely crisp flavor. The lemon juice cuts through the richness of the sour cream, creating a very refreshing dip.

I usually make this dip and cut up some fresh veggies to eat throughout the week. I have one of those tupperware veggie and dip keepers with the lid, so I keep in that and store it in the fridge. Having this dip around helps assuage my temptation for cookies, cake, and pie- oh my! I’m less tempted to shove fistfuls of cookies in my mouth if I have something healthy to snack on. Enjoy!

Love and healthy snacking,

Jennie

Recipe:

1- 16oz. container of light sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tbs. dry dill (1/2 cup fresh)

1 1/2 tsp. Bon Appetit seasoning salt (McCormick makes it)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients. Whisk until combined. Serve with fresh veggies or chunks of your favorite bread.

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