Category Archives: Appetizer

Appetizer, Recipe

The Wannabe Gourmet’s Special Deviled Eggs

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There are as many different deviled egg recipes as there are stars in the sky. Our version uses both horseradish and Old Bay to amp up the flavours. A winner in our neighbourhood Deviled Egg-off…great at any gathering any time of the year!

18 hard-boiled large eggs
1/4 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)
1 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon dill pickle cubes
2 tablespoons prepared (yellow) mustard
1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper
Old Bay Seasoning

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a bowl; set whites aside.

Either mash the yolks manually or using a hand mixer on low. Add mayonnaise, horseradish, dill, dill pickle cubes, mustard, and pepper; mix until well combined. Mixture should be thick. Using two spoons, return yolk mixture to reserved egg white halves. Dust eggs with Old Bay Seasoning. Keep chilled until time to serve.

Makes 36 appetizers, which serves about 9.

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Appetizer, Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Ranch Dip

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This dip always goes over well (you can adjust the spiciness/heat by how much of the buffalo wing/hot sauce you choose to use) at parties. Pair with chips/pita wedges and a good chilled white wine. (Recipe doubled and modified from Dinner At The Zoo Food Blog). This recipe works great for those of us who prefer ranch instead of blue cheese.

3 cups cooked chicken shredded
16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce or hot sauce such as Frank’s® (You can adjust this up, for more heat; down, for less)
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 green onions, diced
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken, cream cheese, buffalo wing/hot sauce, ranch mix and sour cream, until combined. If using a mixer, be sure not to break up all the chicken, or you’ll have a paste for a dip.
Coat an 12 inch skillet or chafing dish with cooking spray. Spread the chicken mixture into the skillet.
Top with cheddar cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until browned around the edges and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with diced green onions.

You can use rotisserie chicken, or bake off boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs) and shred by hand.

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Appetizer, Recipe

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip

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The ultimate easy dip — served cold with corn chips, crackers, crostini or pita wedges. You can lighten up the calories by using reduced fat cream cheese and reduced fat sour cream, but don’t go for the fat-free. The texture will be way off and you probably won’t enjoy it.

1 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese (go for a thicker shred than the feather – it makes the dip have a better “mouth feel”)
1 packet powdered ranch dressing mix
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
5 or 6 sliced green onions
Optional garnishes: additional cooked crumbled bacon, sliced green onions

Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until completely smooth (1-2 minutes).
Add the sour cream and beat for 1 more minute until thoroughly combined with the cream cheese.
Stir in the cheese, ranch mix, bacon and green onions until well combined.
Serve chilled, topped with additional bacon and green onions if desired.

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Appetizer, Recipe

Loaded Tot Appetizers

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More recipes coming soon — I’ve discovered three dips that are beyond wonderful.

(Original recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods)

48 (about 1/2 of 32-oz. pkg.) frozen tater tots
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Sour Cream
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 green onions, sliced

Heat oven to 450ºF.

Place 2 tater tots in each of 24 mini muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray; place on bottom oven rack. Bake 10 min.

Spray bottom of shot glass with cooking spray. Use (in twisting motion) to press tots in each muffin cup to make potato cup. Return to oven; bake additional 15 min. or until deep golden brown.

Add cheese to potato cups; bake 1 min. or until melted. Transfer to platter; fill with remaining ingredients.
Makes 24 appetizers

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Appetizer, Desserts

Pumpkin Mini-Muffins with Spiced Icing

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Halloween season brings forth the pumpkin-lovers in most people.  These mini-muffins with a pumpkin spiced buttercream frosting are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

(Note: You can use any size muffin tin and adjust baking time, however, using mini-muffin tins, you’ll get over 70 delicious two-bite iced pumpkin muffins!) (Recipe is modified from  Joy of Cooking)

1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons double-acting baking power
2 eggs
2 to 4 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 cup canned (or freshly cooked, cooled and mashed) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup golden raisins

Sift together first six ingredients, place aside. Beat eggs, then add butter, milk, pumpkin and raisins. Combine liquid and dry ingredients. Using greased muffin tins, fill 2/3s full and bake 15-20 minutes (up to 30 minutes, depending on muffin size) at 400F. Muffins are done when a tester, inserted in the middle, comes out with just a few crumbs attached (muffins will finish cooking out of the oven. Allow to cook, then remove from pans and prepare icing.

In a mixer bowl, combine:

1 cup (2 sticks) soften unsalted butter
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (or canned pumpkin, but not pumpkin pie filling)
4 cups powdered (10x) sugar)
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon milk (for thinning icing –  if needed)

Mix until thoroughly combined and whipped. Using an icing bag fitted with either a 2D or star tip, frost muffins.

Chill, serve and enjoy.

Makes 2 dozen 2″ muffins, 48 1″ muffins, or over 70 2-bite mini-muffins.

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Appetizer, Recipe

Hot Virginia Dip

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Hot Virginia Dip (Courtesy of the Virginia Hospitality Cookbook and the Junior League of Hampton Roads)

Original recipe:

1 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp butter (Unsalted)
16 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp milk
5 oz dried beef, minced
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 cup sour cream
4 tbsp onion, minced

Recipe as created above:

4 eight-ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened
16 oz cream cheese
10 oz dried beef, diced
4 tbsp milk
2 medium onions, diced
2 tbsp garlic salt
3 cups of pecan halves
1 stick unsalted butter

Either way you make the dish, the process is the same – I just needed to make it in much larger quantities.

In a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, sour cream, diced dried beef, garlic salt, diced onion, and milk and using a stand (or hand) mixer, beat to combine thoroughly (this is most easily done if your mixer has a paddle type attachment.

Melt butter in a large saute pan. Add pecans and toss to coat. Continue to cook until just scorched (the original recipe just says to saute). This does not add a burnt flavour or taste, but does add a je ne sais quoi flavour to the topping.

The original recipe makes enough for a 1 1/2 qt baking dish; the larger recipe makes enough for a 3 qt baking dish.

Turn out the cream cheese mixture into the appropriately sized baking dish; cover with sauteed pecans. Place in a 350 oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with bread sticks, crackers, Wheat Thins or Triscuits.

(N.B. – This dip does reheat well, but is one of the very few things The Wannabe Gourmet has found that does not have a pleasing taste if served cold. A chafing dish (solid fuel, alcohol based, or even electric) works wonders, and for smaller amounts (1 1/2 quart), I’ve found that even the chafing dishes that are heated by votive candles alone will keep the dip at a sufficiently heated temperature for all to enjoy — it goes QUICKLY.)

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