Buffalo Chicken Dip

by Priya Poehner
Priya made this at the Sept. 30 coffee hour, and it was scrumptious! Great for a party, game day, or you alone in the kitchen (we don't judge.) Thanks to the original poster! We've shared it here.

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (or 3 10 oz. cans chunk chicken)
• 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup bleu cheese dressing
• 3/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce 
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 t. black pepper
• bleu cheese crumbles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Reserve half a cup of shredded cheddar and the bleu cheese crumbles. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour into a medium baking dish (9x13 pan works great.) Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar.

Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with bleu cheese crumbles if desired. Serve with celery sticks, fritos, tortilla chips or pita chips.

Spinach con Queso

I used to work at this great local restaurant in northern Minnesota that served an absolutely delicious spicy spinach cheese dip. It's got a little sizzle, but not too much, and tastes wonderful--even non-veggie eaters love this stuff. After work, a bowl of this with chips and a beer were the perfect meal! (We ran a lot, and had two floors. I worked it off.) When bored, I would chat with the bartenders and watch them make drinks (which later earned me a bar tending job) and with the cooks, and watch them make the food. I was lucky to get the recipe for this dip, which was one of the most popular things on the menu. It is always a hit, pretty much foolproof, and because it has spinach in it, you can pretend you're eating it for the iron. We could all use more iron.


Spinach con Queso

*note: amounts are approximate. Sometimes, I add more spinach and chiles, sometimes I make it more cheesy, but no matter what you do, it's great.

• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 T. butter (or margarine, or oil, I've even used bacon fat with good results)
• 1 or 2 10 oz. packages frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped fine
• 1 or 2 cans chopped green chiles (found in the Mexican foods section)
• 1 lb. Pepper Jack cheese, cubed or shredded for easier melting
• 1 lb. sour cream
• Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning (or your favorite seasoned salt, or you could use salt and a bit of chile powder. I like Tony's--if you haven't tried it, I highly suggest grabbing a can!)

Cook onion in butter until it's translucent. Add spinach and chiles (undrained) and cook until it's mostly dry. Add cheese and half of the sour cream, and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Add the rest of the sour cream and season to taste with the Tony's. (I'd say it's about 5 shakes for me--maybe 1 t., but it will depend on how salty your cheese is.) Serve with tortilla chips, bread or veggies. Chips are my favorite. Make sure they are sturdy--delicate chips can't lift this hefty dip.

You can serve immediately, or refrigerate and reheat later. I've reheated it in a small crockpot, a fondue pot, the microwave, and the oven with great results every time. If it gets too thick, you can add more sour cream.

Cheesy Egg Casserole

This was on the menu today, and it was delicious! Since many asked for the recipe, here you are. Perfect for Christmas morning, too.

By Christina Pillot

This recipe is based on a similar dish that is – or, at least, was – served at the Washington School Inn in Park City, Utah. My parents had it there several years ago and asked for the recipe. I’ve made some modifications to the cheese content of the recipe and always make a much bigger batch than the printed-out copy they shared with my parents. The basic recipe I work with is below, and it’s the one I turn to again and again. From time to time, I’ll use different types of cheeses – Gruyere, Havarti – and or I’ll add in chopped jalapeno peppers if I really want to play with it. Otherwise, I’ll put out a side of fresh salsa and just serve it as-is.

Cheesy Egg Casserole
12 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk (any kind)
16-oz cottage cheese
8-oz cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3-1/2 lb shredded Monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking/casserole dish.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Stir in cottage cheese, cream cheese and shredded Monterey jack cheese. Pour into prepared baking dish.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until eggs are set and casserole is not “wet” in the middle.
Dish will deflate slightly as it cools. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving to make slicing easier.
Dish can be served hot or cold.

Serves 12-16

Easiest Bean Dip of All Time

Rachel made this at last week's coffee hour, and she was asked for the recipe, so here you go! I wish I'd been able to stay and sample it! Sounds delicious, and perfect for holiday entertaining!!!

 By Rachel Wagner

• 16 oz (2 8 oz. packages) cream cheese, softened for easier spreading 
• 2 cans refried beans 
• 24 oz salsa, spiced to your preference (I like Pace's Medium Picante) 
• 16 oz shredded cheese, a mix of cheddar, monteray jack, or other "taco" cheese is good 

 Spread in order listed into a 9x13 pan. (A gentle touch makes for more even layers.) Heat covered at 325-375 F for 15-30 minutes, until hot throughout and cheese is all melty.

Fast and Easy Tailgate Apps

by Viki Stumbers

Here’s a non-recipe favorite:

Arrange on a large platter:

·         fresh apple wedges
·         pretzels
·         crackers
·         small slices of cheddar cheese

Serve with 1 jar of Herlocher’s Dipping Mustard and 1 container of Caramel Apple dip (found in the produce section).   Set out two spoons (for the dips) and toothpicks.  Just about everything goes with everything else, and prep time is nearly nil.

Ways to stretch/expand the apps (and still just about everything goes with just about everything else):

1.        Need to make it heartier?  Add cubes of ham and cubes or cracker slices of Swiss cheese.
2.       Heartier than that?  Also add chunks of kielbasa or smoked sausage and a small container of horseradish.
3.       Need it to be sweeter?  Add plain store-bought cookies (sturdy/crisp) and a jar of Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread—find it near the peanut butter).
4.       Need it to be healthier?  Add natural peanut butter, raisins and celery sticks.
5.       Need to feed a crowd?  Add all items from 1-4 to make a super-platter.
6.       Need it to be faster?  Buy the cheese pre-sliced for crackers (near the shredded cheese section) and the apples pre-cut (in produce aisle)
7.       Need it faster than that (as in, you’re on your way to the tailgate/party/whatever and realized you forgot to get anything)?  Almost all items are available at Sheetz—grab and go!

AWESOME Nacho Bean Dip

by Lora Price

8 oz. softened cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can refried beans
1 package chili powder seasoning mix
½ cup taco sauce
1 can jalpenos (optional)
1 ½ c. each – sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, grated (reserve ¾ cups of each
for topping)

Beat cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth. Stir in beans, chili powder,
seasoning mix, taco sauce and (optional) jalapenos. Stir in ¾ cup each cheddar and
Monterey Jack cheese. Spoon into lightly greased casserole dish and top with an addition
¾ cup each of the cheeses. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.
Leftovers warm up great. (There are never any leftovers. =)