Cheese Salsa
A zesty and creamy dip, cheese salsa is a summer staple for my family and has been my entire life. It’s quick, easy and makes approximately a gallon of dip. So, you can feed a small flight line.
Cheese Salsa
Ingredients
Supplies
- Electric Cheese grater
- Large Bowl with lid
- Spatula
- Mason jar with lid
Ingredients
- 1 lb jack cheese grated
- 2 green onions
- 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped chopped
- Cilantro, minced to taste
- 2 pkgs good seasons Italian dressing mix
- 1/4 c Vinegar + 3 T
- 1/4 c Cooking oil
Instructions
- Add all canned goods, green onion, cilantro and garlic to the bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, and seasoning mix in mason jar; shake well. Add dressing to the bowl.
- Grate cheese directly into the bowl. Mix everything together and refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips.
Recipe Box: Funeral Salad (Deviled Ham Salad)
An oldie but a goodie, at least to the dad-man. Deviled ham salad is an acquired taste because of its thick consistency. Honestly, you either like it or you don’t. I like it in very specific ways; on top of crackers. Full stop.
Funeral Salad (Deviled Ham Salad)
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb cooked ham, finely chopped
- 3/4 c mayo
- 2 T dried onion, minced
- 1/3 c dill pickle or sweet relish
- 1/4 c brown mustard
Instructions
- In small batches, blend ham (5-7 pulses). Place ham in a large bowl and continue processing the ham.
- Add mayo, relish, onion, and mustard; mix well. Add more mayo if it is too dry for your tastes.
Notes
Best Turkey Salad For Any Poultry
Turkey salad is an easy classic that can be taken in many different ways. You can even use it on your leftover chicken. Simply replace the turkey with chicken.
Turkey Salad
Ingredients
- 4 c cooked turkey, cubed or chopped
- 2/3 c mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 t granulated sugar
- 1 t dijon mustard
- 1/3 c celery, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 t fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 c green onion, thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 t fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix mayo, salt, pepper, sugar, mustard, dill, parsley, and green onion. Add turkey and mix until combined.
- Refrigerate and serve.
Recipe Box – Potluck Ready Church Potato Salad
There is nothing fancy about this potato salad, just a grandma’s recipe. Originally found in one of those community cookbooks.
Church Potato Salad
Equipment
- Large pot
- Measuring spoons
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 lbs mini Ukon gold potatoes
- 1-1/2 c mayo
- 1 T white vinegar
- 1 T yellow mustard
- 1 t salt
- ¼ t black pepper
- 2 stalks celery chopped (1 c)
- 1 medium onion chopped (1/2 c)
- 4 hard boiled eggs
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Cut potatoes into bite size chunks.
- Mix mayo, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add celery, onions and potatoes; toss gently. Cut eggs into bite size chunks and stir into potato salad.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Easy Two Ingredient Fruit Dip
This fruit dip is a go-to recipe for me and my family in the spring and summer. Only two ingredients, and I’ve seen this work magic on people who don’t like fruit. Though, marshmallows are a magic ingredient. We’ll just blame the magic that is marshmallow fluff.
The earliest memory I have of this dip is 3rd grade, my elementary school had a luau for an end of the year party, and my mom made this and sent it with my dad. After that I remember it being at every end of school year party and summer barbeque we hosted.
Easy Fruit Dip
Equipment
- small container with lid
Ingredients
- 8 oz whipped cream cheese
- 8 oz marshmallow creme
- Fresh Fruit, cookies, pretzels to serve
Instructions
- Mix cream cheese and marshmallow creme in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
My favorite fruits to put with this fruit dip are strawberries, grapes, blueberries, and cherries. I have found that when using fruit like peaches, kiwi or other pit fruit, it works better as a topping with the fruit and pound cake.
This dip also works wonderfully as a topping for fruit pizza using a sugar cookie dough as the crust. This dip is a wonderful addition to any spring or summer cook out that you want to add some pizzaz to your fruit tray or dessert. Or just as a sweet treat on a hot summer day when you and the family are playing in the yard.
No Fuss Baby Food Carrot Cake
Despite the name, this carrot cake is a constant crowd pleaser. Yes. It does have baby food in it. I promise no matter how weird it might sound; it is the secret to the sponginess of this cake. The one thing you will not find with this cake is frosting. That is simply because my dad is not a cream cheese or buttercream frosting person. He likes a simple, but ample, dusting of powdered sugar over the top.
The tweaks we have made to this recipe have happened by accident and it took about three years to figure out what my dad and I were doing wrong that made it taste so good. The answer was we added a bit too much oil to the batter, especially when the dad-man was left to his own devices to make the cake.
Carrot Cake
Equipment
- 12 c Bundt Pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- wire cooling rack
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 3 c flour
- 2 c granulated sugar
- 1 c vegetable oil + 1T
- 4 eggs
- 8 oz carrot junior baby food
- 1/2 t salt
- 2 t baking soda
- 2 t ground cinnamon
- 1 t allspice
- 1 t vanilla
- Powdered sugar
- 3 c flour
- 2 c granulated sugar
- 1 c vegetable oil + 1T
- 4 eggs
- 8 oz carrot junior baby food
- 1/2 t salt
- 2 t baking soda
- 2 t ground cinnamon
- 1 t allspice
- 1 t vanilla
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Grease and flour a large tube pan. Preheat the oven to 350 deg. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and spices into a large bowl.
- Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla and oil until it is light and fluffy. Add baby food and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients one third at a time, mix until smooth. Pour into pan.
- Bake 30-35 min or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn out cake onto a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar while warm and let cool.
If you decide to put frosting on to your cake, this is my go-to buttercream frosting.
Deviled Eggs, a Simple Picnic Classic
Deviled eggs are one of my dad’s favorite side dishes in the spring and summer, but he doesn’t like to get tired of any one food, so I make them two to three times a year. Easter is one of those events, the other for sure is for Memorial Day or any summer cook out.
Story behind the Recipe
This recipe comes from my aunt on my mom’s side, via my cousin. These are her go-to deviled eggs that she brings to almost every potluck. Funniest part to me is that my cousin vehemently really dislikes deviled eggs. But in my incredibly biased opinion, they are really good, deviled eggs.
The very optional part of this, depending on who you are and the time of year you decide to make them, is to dye them with good old vinegar dye kit. I know this will not be everyone’s preference for coloring eggs. But it’s what I grew up with, so it sticks in my head. However, I do not recommend hiding said colored eggs for littles to find, unless you want a stinky surprise in a few days. I speak from my dad’s experience of trying to hide real eggs for my twin and I to find. We, in fact, did not find them all and one ripened to all stinky glory of an egg in the desert.
Recipe
Deviled Eggs
Equipment
- flat container with lid
- Pot for cooking eggs
- Small mixing bowl
- piping back or plastic quart zipper bag
- Fork
- knife
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1 c mayo
- 1 T yellow mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 t white vinegar
- 1 T milk
- 1 t sugar
Instructions
Cooking eggs
- Put cold eggs into cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Plunge directly into ice water.
Deviled Eggs
- Peel eggs. Cut them in half and put the yolks into a separate bowl. Mash yolks with a fork until smooth.
- Mix together dressing ingredients into a separate bowl. Taste and make adjustments as needed.
- Mix yolks and dressing together.
- Fill egg whites using a pastry bag or sandwich bag with the tip cut off. Sprinkle it with paprika and serve.
We use this recipe as part of our Easter Dinner feast because in our house it is synonymous with the easter bunny hiding real eggs. As I mentioned briefly before my family would dye the eggs before making the deviled eggs, but if vinegar and food dye aren’t your thing, I recommend Fresh Fork Market’s post about vegetable dyed eggs. They’re not as neon as the food coloring, but they make some very vibrant eggs.
Whether you use this recipe for a spring celebration or the next friend’s and family get together, this simple recipe is sure to please all the egg-lovers in your yard.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
This hot spinach artichoke dip is a cheesy combination of cheese, vegetables and seasoning that is served at many a holiday party in my family. It’s a warm cozy tasty classic while not being bland as spinach tends to get without the right amount of seasoning. This recipe uses my creamed spinach recipe for the creamed spinach component. If you have a different favorite feel free to use it.
This recipe might as well be a cheese dip between the Swiss, Monterey jack and cream cheese. However, that is what I love about it. I love cheese and I love a heavy dip in the fall and winter because it just feels cozy, especially when you serve it with little toasts or bread in general.
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 c green onion, chopped
- 2 T butter
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 c creamed spinach
- 1 can artichokes 14 oz
- 1 c moterey jack 4 oz brick
- 1 c swiss 4 oz brick
- 1 T worcester sauce
- 1/2 t cajun seasoning
- 1/2 t minced thyme
- 1/2 t hot pepper sauce tabasco
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 c grated parmesan
Instructions
- In a small skillet, cook onions in butter until tender, set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth.
- Stir in onion, creamed spinach, artichoke, worcester sauce, cajun seasoning, thyme, hot pepper sauce, and garlic. Fold in swiss and monterey jack cheese.
- Transfer to a greased 2 qt baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 deg for 25-30 min or until bubbly around the edges.
- Top with parmesan and broil 4-6 inches from the heat for 3-5 min or until golden brown on top. Serve warm; refrigerate leftovers.
Notes
There is no wrong way to serve this hot spinach artichoke dip. Chips, toast, pita, it all goes. If a dip doesn’t fit the occasion, pile it in a scored loaf of crusty bread and baking it as a pull apart loaf topped with big shavings of parmesan cheese.
Storing this dip is also easy. Let it cool, cover with plastic cling wrap and place it in the fridge. To reheat, put a portion into a microwave safe bowl and microwave until hot or heat oven to 350 degrees and put the whole dish in for five to ten minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Extra Creamy Creamed Spinach with a Kick
Creamed Spinach in both a southern staple and the base for so many tasty recipes. But it can get redundant. I easiest solution is to that blandness that spinach can get is to up the salt and add in the spice. Now, when I say spice, I don’t only mean pepper flakes and chili powder (though I add both liberally).
While creamed spinach is not my favorite side dish, it is fantastic in the fall and winter for its hearty quality. It makes a great topping for a seared pork chop, or stuffing. I have no special story for creamed spinach in my family, other than the grocery store stopped selling it in the frozen section. Therefore, I started making it myself because the loss of the ingredient didn’t outweigh the love for dishes using it.
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh spinach or ½ pound frozen spinach
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced or minced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half & half or heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/8 t ground nutmeg
- 1/4 t red chili flakes or cayenne pepper
- 3/4 t fine sea salt
- 1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for about 1 minute until it begins to wilt. Place into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking immediately. Drain.
- Heat up butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it melts.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and stir occasionally while cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the flour to the skillet and stir constantly while cooking for about a minute until it becomes foamy.
- Gradually whisk in the half and half and milk. Add the nutmeg, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper into the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes until it slightly thickens.
- Add the spinach and Parmesan cheese into the skillet and mix them in. Cook the mixture for another minute to heat everything through.
This creamed spinach is also the base for my hot spinach artichoke dip, of which we add much more cheese to it. If you are serving this as a side dish, I recommend doing a less seasoned side dish along with it because it can get heavy for some palates.
Side dish or base ingredients creamed spinach is a great way to serve spinach with other cozy favorites. Roasted garlic potatoes are a great dish. And as always: Don’t forget to take the leftovers.
Easy Spinach Salad, a Quick Side for Every Occasion
This quick and easy Spinach salad is a great answer for the question: What can I bring?
This recipe comes from my Aunt Vicky and has been a go-to for her for many a work and church potlucks. And even family dinners when I go back to visit. Its versatility is what makes it a main stay. Tweak the toppings to the season or personal tastes and it’s guaranteed to make waves.
My personal favorite combination is strawberries, slivered almonds and no bacon nor eggs. It just makes the perfect combination for a side dish that will match nearly anything that can be served. I also like to add a sharp cheese, like blue cheese, for a bit of funkiness if I’m making this for myself.
Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- Red onion sliced thin
- Bacon fried crisp
- 1 bag spinach cleaned
- 2 hard boil eggs
Seasonal Alterations
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Mandarin oranges
- Walnuts
- Almonds
Dressing
- â…“ c salad oil
- â…” c apple cider vinegar
- ¾ c sugar
- 1 t salt & pepper
Instructions
- Clean spinach and shake dry. Layer ingredients into a serving bowl.
- In a separate bowl (or mason jar) mix dressing ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Shake dressing and drizzle on top; serve.
If you’re choosing to take this spinach salad as a potluck dish, I highly recommend not putting the dressing on until you are ready to serve. Traveling with this salad is just as easy; it’s all in how you build it. I prefer to build it in layers, as I state in the directions. Simply layer the ingredients in a bowl with a sturdy lid and ample headspace. Don’t worry if the ingredients get jumbled on the ride! It is easiest to shake the salad to mix it.
