Monday, December 6, 2010

KK's party pumpkin dip

This is a huge hit at our family Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings, and I give all the credit to KK :) Pumpkin dip is a great, easy party dish that you can put together at the last minute. 

1 can pumpkin pie filling
1 small tub of cool whip
1 package cream cheese softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger

Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix on low with a hand mixer until everything is integrated.  Put in a nice dish and serve with ginger snaps or graham crackers.  If you are really feeling like Betty Crocker, you can make your own gingerbread people. 

Taco Soup - warms you from the inside!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...but the some soup would be delightful.  Okay, I just made that one up, but it's totally true! Taco soup is one of our favorites because it's easy and tasty and it freezes pretty well if you make too much.  Also, it only takes one pot!

1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
1 can black beans drained
2 cans diced tomatoes drained
2 package of taco seasoning
1 46 ounce can of V8 juice
1 can white shoepeg corn drained

Brown the meat with a little bit of oil in the bottom of your soup pot.  Drain the excess liquid.  Open all your cans and dump everything in the soup pot including the taco seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Salt to taste.  I serve this with corn bread or tortilla chips depending on how much time I have. 

Friday, December 3, 2010

Wow-Your-Friends-at-the-Holiday-Brunch quiche

It's that time of year where we get invited to countless Christmas brunches, parties, and shindigs. And every time, we go through the, WHAT DO I BRING TO THIS THING dilemma.  Take this easy quiche recipe and morph it into a fabulous take along.

Ingredients:
1 package of Pilsbury pie crusts; thawed - the kind in the tins in the freezer section; there are 2 per package
4 large  eggs
1/2 mayonnaise or sour cream
1/2 whole milk
1 cup cheese - get creative with it! Gruyere and cheddar are good choices, but swiss or parmesan can also be brought into the mix
1  cup cooked bacon or chopped ham
1 cup cooked veggies - I like asparagus or spinach, but you can do onions, broccoli, or red peppers too; DRAIN THEM WELL

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Pre bake both pie shells for about 15 minutes to keep them from being gooey.  While the pie crusts bake, place all four eggs, mayonnaise or sour cream, milk, and cheese into the blender.  Blitz until just blended. Remove the pie crusts from the oven and raise the temp to 400.  Evenly divide bacon/ham and veggies evenly between the two pie shells and then evenly divide the egg mixture over the veggies.  Gently wrap the edges of your quiches with a strip of foil to keep the crust edges from burning and place into a 400 degree oven.  Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until the middles are set.  Cool for about 15 minutes and serve!