Spinach Artichoke Dip

Here is my spinach and artichoke dip I use for all of our parties and weekend pig-out sessions. My best friend Beth requested that I blog about it, and it wasn't until she mentioned it that I remembered it was a true favorite of mine to make.  I have tried other recipes, but this one is so creamy, cheesy and rich, it's absolutely delicious!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ( I always end up adding the whole bag, who doesn't love extra cheese!?)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Serve with crackers or tortilla chips...but, just as a warning, make sure you make two batches, this will be one recipe you have to do that with.  Once you sit down and start "snacking" it will be gone before you know it!! Tony and I can eat through an entire batch in one sitting, yes, it's that good! Enjoy!

<3 jenn

Things I Love Thursday

Here are some 'top of my list' loves the past week...

❥ Pinterest
❥photography
❥homemade sweet tea
❥DIY
❥fall
❥homemade marshmallow fondant
❥birthday cakes
❥homemade butter (so easy!)
❥kitchen design
❥less is more
❥veggies from my garden
❥family
❥NYS Fair

What do you love this week?

Wordless Wednesday

Crispy Southwestern Chicken Wrap

This is a recipe I found off of Mel's kitchen cafe...it's so easy and makes plenty for dinner and lunch the next day.  What makes this recipe even better is that it's kid friendly. What kid doesn't love a cute little wrap they can hold in their hands for dinner. What I like most about this recipe are the ingredients-they are all friendly and common to most of our cupboards.  Feel free to exchange out chicken for leftover pulled pork, steak, or even go veggie with this one! Make it your own!!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

*Makes 6 wraps*
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monetary jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas


Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Tony's BBQ Pulled Pork

For realsies guys...this is the best BBQ pulled pork recipe out there...developed by Tony, loved by all. This meal was inspired from our favorite BBQ pit down in Florida. I kid you not, we ate there almost weekley some months. Sonny's BBQ has out of this world pulled pork, so when we moved back up north, we had to recreate this addicting meal we knew we'd ben longing for after we left. moving. You ready? Here we go!

Tony's BBQ Pulled Pork- Slow cooker style

Ingredients
pork butt (10-12lbs)
2 jars of favorite BBQ sauce (we use Dinosaur BBQ)
1 cup of coffee or root beer or espresso
2 cups of water

1. Place pork butt, coffee, water, and one jar of BBQ sauce in a large crock pot on low for 10 hours, fat side down.
2. At the end of 10 hours, take pork butt out and shred, making sure you take bone and fat chunks out. Place shredded meat back in slow cooker.
3. Add additional jar of BBQ sauce to shredded meat in the slow cooker and cook on low for another hour.

The beauty behind this recipe is that the slow cooker does ALL the work for you...but be sure to cook on low, it makes it much more tender and easy to shred.

Serve with coleslaw, corn on the cob, corn bread, baked beans, mac and cheese and macaroni salad....it's a dinner anyone will love!!

Dinosaur BBQ

I always say it's the little things that make me happy...and this is no exception. I am so excited to have just ordered the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook! Really, I don't know what has taken me so long to buy it,...but it's on its way, should be here this week! =) Can't wait to get cooking...Dinosaur BBQ style...mmmm

What's your favorite Dinosaur BBQ dish?

You Always Make Me Smile- Kyle Andrews

This song always makes me smile...

Chicken Riggies

Chicken Riggies

I grew up in Marcy, NY a small town within minutes from Utica. The "Chicken Riggie" dish is one of "Utica"s" biggest known foods that we can call our own...(we also have"Utica style pizza" and "half moon cookies" but that's another time and place).  I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where my Mom cooked, and boy did she cook, it's probably why I have such a passion for food today. After moving to Syracuse, (and Florida) no one knew what a "chicken riggie" was, and lucky for them I was able to introduce this delicious dish to all my new friends and family I've made along the way.  Tony can say hands down this is one of his favorite meals I make, and often complains I don't make it often enough!! Everyone makes chicken riggies different, and since moving to Syracuse it seems their popularity has been slowly growing too! Every restaurant has their own version of this dish, and while I must admit some are good,  none live up to my Mom's recipe that I still use today.  I've altered it a bit to make it my own, but it's her recipe none-the-less. Enjoy!

Chicken Riggie Recipe

1 box package rigatoni pasta

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 fresh tomatoes cubed
1 yellow pepper

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 orange pepper

2 hot cherry peppers (I used jarred ones in oil, with seeds, and extra oil for extra fire)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup of milk
4 tablespoons of butter
2 packages of Parma Rosa sauce mix

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and keep warm.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and cook in the hot oil until lightly browned on all sides and cooked in the middle. Remove the chicken from the pan, and keep warm.  Add the peppers, hot cherry peppers, and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, reduce heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream, milk and butter. simmer for 2-3 minutes and then add parma rosa packets. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes or until sauce is thick. Then add cooked chicken, and let simmer for 4 -5 minutes, then stir in the pasta with peppers and tomatoes.

The best part of this is that you don't have to add ANY hot peppers, or you can add a TON of hot peppers like we do. Or, you can do half the batch mild, and half the batch hot (for those light weights out there)

Some little side cooking tips...

Lately I've been using hot peppers jarred in oil, not only do I add the hot peppers, but also the oil for that extra kick!

Need a short cut? Try using an already cooked whole rotisserie chicken cubed or shredded to shave minutes off your cooking time.

Want to mix it up?  I've heard of people adding black olives, mushrooms, pork, shrimp, and beef instead of chicken. Make it your own...have fun with it!!

Always have with fresh Italian bread....makes soaking up that hot sauce at the end even more special =)

I hope you enjoy this meal....it's taken a LONG time for me to finally let go of this recipe and share it with others. It's special to us, and I can guarantee you won't have much for leftovers the next day!

Let me know what you think! What do you do to YOUR chicken riggie recipe?

<3 Jenn

Mac and Cheese- Recipe

Here is a favorite in our house....a super-duper cheese overload any kid won't be able to pass up!

O'Malley's Mac and Cheese

3 bags of Kraft's Five Cheese Blend (pre-shredded cheese)

1 cup of milk

1/2 stick of butter

1 box of elbow macaroni or penne pasta

1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs

1 can of stewed tomatoes (if wanted)

salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Melt milk and butter together, add cheese. Let melt until a gooey, even, delicious cheesy mess.

Boil macaroni to al dente.

Mix macaroni and cheese sauce together. Sprinkle in salt and pepper (to taste).

Spoon mac and cheese into a shallow baking dish.

Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncovered.

If you want a little bit of a twist on your traditional mac and cheese, add a can of stewed tomatoes to the top of the baking dish after baking for 30 minutes. Bake another 10-15 minutes, uncovered.

The five cheese blend made by Kraft really sets this dish apart from the rest. There are so many flavors going on at once, you can't stop eating! Enjoy!!

Some summer must see movies...

Tony and I have been lucky enough to get out a lot this summer for date nights,...we both share a love for movies...so it didn't take long for us to make every Sunday night a movie night tradition. With a lineup like this, we feel like we hit the movie lotto this summer.

Bridesmaids

The Hangover Part II

Horrible Bosses

All three movies had us laughing from beginning to end with constant one liners and endless jokes.  They will all be favorites in our collection once they're on DVD, you can guarantee that!

PS. On a side note...I know how expensive going to the movies is...especially with kids...so keep this in mind...Hollywood Theater in Mattydale always has three movies playing, one kids and two adult movies. Plus, get this...it was $3.50 for Tony and I to see a  Sunday night movie (compared to the $20 we pay at Regal). That's right, $1.75 per person...bring the whole family...you can actually afford it! (check em out on facebook for updated movies and show times)

PPS. Did you get there early to see the movie? There is a cute little ice cream shop within walking distance to the theater...so grab a sundae and enjoy these last few summer nights we have with the ones you love.

What are you watching this summer?

<3 Jenn

Wordless Wednesday

Oh you know,...just a day at the zoo......