Restaurant-Style Queso Blanco

(many thanks to my hand model bro for this photo. :))

I can't tell you how many dollars we have spent on queso at the Mexican restaurants. One of our favorite local ones is La Fiesta and the last time we went there, we were celebrating the kids' school awards and we spent more than half our bill on queso. That's how good their queso is and that's how badly we are addicted! In fact, our addiction is so bad, that by the time our entrees arrive, we are always so stuffed full of queso and chips that we have to pack up our meals and eat them at home the next day for lunch. So....to save our wallets...I knew I needed to find a way to make it at home. So on Tuesday, after spending the day at Epcot and riding the boat ride in Mexico and smelling the amazing aromas wafting our way from the restaurant, we knew we had to have Mexican food that night. So we went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants there in Orlando and my husband was brave enough to ask the waiter for the recipe. And he GAVE it to us! I couldn't believe it. I think I could've hugged him then and there--hubs and the waiter both, actually! And imagine my shock when our waiter said "It's American cheese!" Suddenly, everything clicked. All my queso attempts prior had been with Monterey Jack, cheddar and pepper jack. Now it all made sense why I never got that creamy, melty, perfect texture that all the restaurants have perfected: I was using the wrong cheese all along! So, last night, on our way back home from Orlando, I made my hubs stop at Publix so I could run in and get a big block of white american cheese from their deli counter. And today, first chance I got, I whipped up a batch. And. It's. AMAZING! Happy Dance!!! No more wasting way too much money at the Mexican restuarant when I can make it just as delicious at home. Next time we go to Sam's Club I'm going to buy my white american there because I know it will be cheaper. At $6/lb, I still spent $13 just on the cheese, so it really wasn't that much cheaper, but now that I know it works, I'll be finding a way to make it as cheap as possible. So, without further ado!

Makes 6-8 Servings

1 lb. block white american cheese, shredded or cubed

2-3 poblano peppers

3/4-1 cup half & half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash your peppers and dry them completely. Place them on a baking sheet and in your preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake another 10 minutes. Pull them out and let them rest 5-10 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds and dice finely. In a double boiler, combine cheese, peppers and 3/4 cup half & half. Cook over medium-low heat until melted, whisking constantly, about 15 minutes. If it's too thick, add remaining 1/4 cup of half & half and whisk well. Serve with tortilla chips.

This was so easy and tastes so good. The poblano peppers are really perfect, but if you prefer you can use a can of diced green chiles and a half a can of diced jalapeño peppers instead. You can also microwave it in 30 second increments until fully melted, just don't let it boil over! If it comes to a boil fully it could separate and then you'll have a lumpy mess. As the cheese melts, it will appear lumpy, don't let that scare you! Just keep whisking and cooking until you get the texture you want. You can always thin it out even more if you prefer. We found that these three simple ingredients were perfect for us, especially when paired with salty tortilla chips, but if you want, you can always add a little salt, pepper and/or cumin. You can also make this directly on the stovetop rather than a double boiler, but again, keep it on low and whisk it constantly. You don't want to risk it burning and/or boiling over. We're hooked on this queso! We're already coming up with several ideas for it including breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, sandwiches, burgers, and yes...even a Mexican sushi roll. I promise when we do these, I'll keep you posted! Hope you're having a fantastic week. The weekend is nearly here! Have a great evening!

Ultimate Twice-Baked Potatoes

Several years ago, on the day of the very first Gator football game of the season, hubs decided to make this delicious concoction for everyone. It was an immediate hit and it's been a regular on our menu ever since--whether it's for parties or dinner at home just us. He usually makes a separate version for the kids minus the onions, and the kids just tear them up. I guess for them it's like a cross between a baked potato and mashed potatoes--both of which they LOVE. Sometimes we make them without the broccoli, but it's an easy way to get that extra veggie in the meal, so why not? Do these look amazing or what? We always make enough for an army, but you can easily half the recipe.

Makes 6-8 Servings

10 potatoes

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 cup chopped green onions

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

Clean potatoes and stab many times with a fork. At this point, you need to cook them; you can bake them in a 400 degree oven for 75 minutes, you could wrap them in foil and put them in a crockpot for 4-6 hours on high, or you could microwave them for about 10-20 minutes until softened. It all depends on how soon you need them to be ready. After they're cooked, carefully slice each potato in half lengthwise. Using a sturdy spoon, scoop out the insides, creating a hollowed-out shell like so: 

Place the filling in a large bowl, then put all the shells on a well-greased cookie sheet and place them in the oven while preparing the filling. You can either use a potato masher on all the ingredients in a large bowl, or if you want a creamier filling, you can put everything in a mixer and blend it all, being careful not to overblend, you don't want a gummy filling. Taste and add more seasoning if desired and you can add milk if the mixture seems to dry. Usually a half cup at a time until you get the consistency you want. Pull the shells out of the oven and scoop the filling into each one. Then put back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly and browned on the top. 

YUM, I could go for a leftover twice baked-potato right now! I love these. They're so tasty and so filling, so they make the perfect accompaniment to dinner or as an appetizer for a get-together. We've experimented with all sorts of fillings and different cheeses too. Sometimes we sprinkle a little cheese on top to get a melty coating. Also garlic powder is good in these, I'd add about a tablespoon to the filling ingredients. Swiss is excellent with the broccoli and ham in place of the bacon goes perfectly with that. Play around with it! It's such a good recipe and so easy, you can't go wrong. Have a great Tuesday! We are headed for IKEA ourselves and I can't wait...it's been months since I was there and I'm suffering from withdrawals. ;)

Creamy Spinach Dip

Makes 6 Servings

2 pkg Knorr Spring Vegetable Soup mix
2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
16 oz. sour cream
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup parmesan

Directions:
Squeeze liquid out of spinach and place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or bread.


I love spinach dip! This is one of the tastiest versions I've ever had. My husband is a huge fan of it, he always tells me he's just going to take the bowl and a spoon and eat it all, LOL. My oldest daughter, Jade, and my oldest son, Noah, are both big fans of spinach just like their dad so they always get big helpings of this dip as well. In fact, Noah asked me if I could make it for his birthday dinner this year! He's so cute. I love seeing how much they love spinach. As a mom it makes me really happy when my kids love something so good for them (spinach in general, obviously, not this dip, LOL). They'll eat spinach any way they can get their hands on it, too. Makes mama so proud, *sniff sniff*. Haha. So I needed a second dish to bring along with me to the Fourth of July BBQ at our friends' house the other day, so I decided to whip this one up. It takes no time at all to throw together and it's always a big hit so it was the perfect choice along with my Bacon Cheddar Macaroni Salad that I had also brought. I've served this dip in a big bowl of pumpernickel bread that I've hollowed out; rye is also a good choice. I didn't get a chance to go to Publix though for a fresh loaf of pumpernickel so I ended up just bringing Ritz crackers and those were really good with it too. Gotta love this versatile appetizer that's always a big hit at parties!

Crockpot Hot Boiled Peanuts

Summertime here in the south means hot boiled peanuts! You can find them at grocery stores, convenience stores, produce stands, festivals and there are even little boiled peanut carts on a lot of street corners downtown in the little towns and big cities alike. My kids know once we start seeing the peanuts on display at our local grocery stores, that means it's time for Mommy to cook up some hot boiled peanuts just for us. 

*Ok, quick side note here: Fellow Mommy bloggers, how do you do it? Have you noticed how completely impossible it is to think and get into a flow when you are surrounded by children and talking and noises and microwave beeps and fights over whose turn it is to be "it" and kids saying they're hungry and asking if they can eat such-and-such, etc...?? I'm about to go insane!! I need an office. Ahem, hubby....?!? lol*

So anyway....Tuesday morning I hauled out the peanuts I had bought--raw, green peanuts--and rinsed and drained them before placing them in my crockpot. I then added enough water to completely cover them and stirred in some salt and seasonings, switched to the high setting and let it go. A few hours into it I added a little more water since the top layer was becoming dry. After about 6 hours, we had delicious hot boiled peanuts that required very little effort but tasted like I'd been hard at work all day. Yay! Happy kids and parents alike. Now here it is Thursday and they're already nearly cleared out which means another trip to the local supermarket or Farmer's Market to pick up some more raw, green peanuts! These are a staple to our summer: we snack on them throughout the day, bring them with us to the pool or beach, bring them to share at parties and BBQs, bring bags of them with us to the fireworks, etc....they're so versatile and keep really well with all the salt in there as a preservative. Enjoy!

Makes 2 Pounds

2 lbs raw green peanuts, found in the produce section of your grocery store

1 - 1 1/2 cups salt

Dash garlic powder

Dash onion powder

Dash cayenne

Directions:

Rinse and drain the peanuts in a colander, picking out any that are broken or open. Place peanuts in a crockpot and add enough water to completely cover the peanuts. (They will float to the top.) Stir in a cup of salt and a few shakes of each of the seasonings. Cook on high for 6 hours and check for doneness and taste, adding more salt if needed. (If it's too salty, add 3-4 more cups of water and cook for another hour...likewise if they aren't soft enough for your taste, cook longer, checking after every hour until you reach the level of "doneness" that you want.)

This has been one of my favorite snacks since I was little and my mom made hot boiled peanuts for me and my brothers and sisters. I remember my grandparents buying some for me at a produce market on a street corner in Green Cove Springs, FL, where we'd meet up with them so my brother and I could go stay with them at their house at the beach for a week or two over the summers. You can also use packaged raw dried peanuts in the nut and popcorn aisle at your grocery store, but I much prefer the raw green fresh peanuts to those. But if you're having a craving and the raw green ones aren't to be found or aren't in season, by all means, use the dried! 

Summertime Eats!

I really can not believe it's summertime again already! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE summer. I love having my kiddos home with me and we always make a summer bucket list of things we want to do and try to do a different thing at least 4 out of the 7 days in a week, if not more. We also love taking road trips together. One of my very favorite type of vacation is a road trip. I just love seeing the country; all the different cities and states and scenery and stopping at lots of different restaurants and local eateries, visiting museums and state parks and even playing all the silly car games. I love it all! ABC license plate? You got it! Ahem, back to my point: so summertime gets really hot and humid in my lovely state of Florida. So we try to eat a lot of sandwiches and cold salads and we do a bunch of grilling and eating outside. So we hardly ever eat a big, hot dinner that requires a lot of oven and/or stovetop cooking--it's just too darn hot for that! So I thought I would share some of our favorite Summertime Eats. I'm always on the lookout for new favorites and we like to mix those in to our traditional standards.

Summer Meal #1: Meatball Hoagies with a big garden salad.

This is pretty quick and easy and won't heat up your oven for long--the hoagies only need to bake for 15 minutes or so. I usually make some homemade ranch dressing to go with it--I love Pioneer Woman's version!


Summer Meal #2: Chicken Salad Focaccia Sandwiches with Carrot Sticks, Potato Chips and PW's Ranch Dressing.

Again, the focaccia doesn't take long to bake and you chill the chicken salad, so you've got a nice, cool but filling meal that even the kids love!


Summer Meal #3: Grilled chicken with macaroni salad and corn on the cob. (Recipes Coming Soon!)

I love to make a quick marinade for chicken in the morning, put it and the chicken in a ziploc in the fridge in preparation for the hubs to grill it later that night. My mom's Basic Macaroni Salad is always a popular side dish in the summer and there's just something about pairing it with grilled chicken that brings back all the memories of my childhood during the summer.


We love to wash all our food down with a big glass of ice cold sweet tea or my Homemade Strawberry Lemonade and serve up some delicious Blueberry Cobbler for dessert--made with fresh from the farm blueberries! We go blueberry picking every summer and freeze enough fresh blueberries to last us until the next summer. This delicious bounty leads to muffins, pancakes, cobblers, ice cream...and just blueberries eaten by themselves accompanied by little bluish purple faces and fingers. :)

Here's a recipe that is quick and easy as well as SUPER delicious. I mean, it's got bacon in it, you just can't go wrong. If you love BLTs like I do, you'll go gaga over these roll-ups. They're great to serve for lunch, as a snack, or to bring along with you to those summer BBQs where everyone brings a dish to share:


BLT Roll-Ups

Makes 12-14 Servings

8 oz cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup mayo 
16 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled 
1 cup of chopped, seeded tomatoes 
4  8" flour tortillas
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce 

Directions:

Mix cream cheese and mayo in a medium bowl. Add bacon and tomatoes and mix well. Spread evenly onto tortillas and top with lettuce. Roll up tightly, place on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more. Take out and cut each wrap into 7 one-inch slices and serve.


Another easy one we love to make for parties:


Ham Roll-Ups

Makes 10-12 Servings

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (2 1/4 oz) can chopped black olives, drained
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
8-10 slices fully cooked deli ham

Directions:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in olives and onions and mix well. Spread evenly over ham slices and roll up tightly starting with the short side. Chill for at least an hour or overnight. Cut into 1-2" slices and serve.


Well, I hope that gets you started on some yummy summer food. I've already made a few items on this list and have plans to make the rest of the list and then some. I LOVE summer! Happy dance!!!

Sausage Balls

Makes 50-60

1 lb ground sausage
2 3/4 cups baking mix
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar
Dash pepper
Dip:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven 375

In large bowl, combine baking mix, raw sausage, shredded sharp cheddar (freshly shredded works best!) and pepper until well blended and dough is formed. Shape into 1" balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Mix mayo and mustard together in a small bowl and serve as dip with the sausage balls. 



This is one of my favorite appetizers for any occasion! We absolutely always have them on New Year's Eve, as long as I can remember, even as a little girl, my mom would make these for that holiday. I also make them for parties, football games, or even afternoon snacks for the kids and I since they love them as much as I do. So easy to make and amazing with the dip as well, don't leave it out, even if you don't like mustard, you can definitely add less mustard if you like it less "mustardy" but this is the perfect balance for us and it's just delish.

Crab Rangoons

Makes 6 Servings

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 cups chopped, cooked shrimp or crab meat--can be canned or fresh, imitation is ok too
Dash salt
12 egg roll wrappers (or wonton wrappers)
Egg wash

Directions:

Combine all filling ingredients and mix well...taste test to make sure it has enough salt. Arrange the egg roll wrappers in a "diamond" shape so the point is facing you. Place two tablespoons of filling in the bottom 1/3 of the triangle, then wrap like a burrito...roll over the filling, bring in the sides, then continue rolling until closed nicely. (Google has lots of egg roll wrapping illustrations if you need them.) Use a brush or your fingers to brush the egg wash onto the tip/corner of the wrap to seal it and ensure it doesn't open up during frying. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Makes six servings of two rolls each. If you prefer to bake, you can use wonton wrappers instead--those bake very well. The thin spring roll wrappers that we use from the Asian grocery do not bake well, but get very chewy. If you purchase an egg roll or wonton wrapper from a regular grocery store like Publix, then you will be fine to bake them. You can wrap as directed and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or you can line muffin tins with the wrappers and fill with the filling, then bake at 350 for 20 minutes. (This is definitely the easier, healthier route!)



We have tried to mimic the Crab Rangoons from the Chinese takeout restaurants several times and this is the closest we have gotten! The mayonnaise helps keep the cream cheese creamy and smooth without drying out and adding a bit of salt helps with the flavor. We like to make these for a snack or as an appetizer for a party. I like using the wonton wrappers and baking them in muffin tins--super easy and much healthier than frying.

Potstickers

Makes 3 Dozen

1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, shelled, deveined, and finely chopped
1 egg white
1/4 cup minced water chestnuts
1/2 stalk celery, minced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon chili oil, optional
Dash ground pepper
36 wonton or potsticker wrappers
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2/3 cup chicken broth

Sauce:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1/2 teaspoon chili oil

Directions:

In a large bowl toss in the pork, shrimp, egg white, water chestnuts, celery, ginger, sugar, salt, chili oil, and sesame oil. Season with a little pepper and mix and stir until well combined--I usually put on some non-latex plastic gloves and mix it with my hands. Put a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Brush around the edges with water. Fold the wrappers in half over the filling, pinching the edges together, forming a triangle. Fold the corners over towards the center, moistening with a little water to seal. Make sure to seal well so the filling doesn't ooze out. Repeat until all the filling has been finished. Set your oven to the “warm” setting, or 170 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, enough to lightly coat the bottom of your skillet. When the oil is hot, add as many dumplings as can fit well without being overly crammed together. Cook until the bottoms are golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Add some of the chicken broth; enough for about half an inch of broth in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the cooked dumplings to a casserole dish or cookie sheet and put them in the oven to keep warm. Repeat, steps, until all potstickers are cooked. Serve the dumplings with soy sauce or make the sauce above by mixing all ingredients for the sauce in a pan and simmer over medium heat for a minute or two until the sugar dissolves.




This is easy and delicious, although a bit time-consuming. The worst part is the wrapping, which takes awhile, but it is TOTALLY worth it. We like to make some with just shrimp too and have a big smorgasborg of potstickers. :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Serves 8-10

12oz Hot Wing Sauce
16oz Ranch Dressing
2 - 8oz cream cheese, softened
4 chicken breasts, boiled & cut up or shredded
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (monterey jack or cheddar are the best!)
3 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300

Mix hot sauce & chicken in 13x9 pan. Mix ranch dressing and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth. (Or you can shortcut like I do and microwave it!) Pour over chicken & sprinkle with cheese. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes then sprinkle green onions on top. Serve with tortilla chips.



It's football season!!! In other words, GATOR season here. :) So football season means lots of yummy hors d'oeuvres and that means DIPS. And what is the most perfect dip in the entire world?? That's right, Buffalo Chicken Dip is! This dip is smack your grandma good...but just give her the lip smack, not the backhanded smack, ok? MAKE THIS DIP THIS WEEKEND. I promise you won't be sorry. Man, now I want this dip. Right this minute.

Parmesan Cheese Bites

Makes 32 Bites

1 cup flour
2/3 cup parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup cold butter, cut up
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Stir first three ingredients together well in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Press mixture together with hands, working until it is blended and forms a smooth dough--this will take a few minutes.

Shape dough into 2 4" long logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill 8 hours, or place wrapped logs inside an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with milk. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Baked bites can also be frozen up to one month if desired.



These make the perfect reception food. I made them for my sister's bridal shower last weekend and they were a big hit and went perfectly with my chicken salad focaccia. My kids love to eat them as a snack and I like to keep the frozen logs in my freezer so that I can bake them up anytime we're running low on snack items, especially ones that can travel well in lunch boxes! I know the instructions say to thaw overnight, but I've sliced and baked them right from frozen and the time it takes me to cut them all gives them enough time to partially thaw and I'll bake them right from that state and they're still delicious! They may require an extra minute or two, but no biggie. These make good appetizers and are good for parties and even weddings.

Hot Ham & Cheese Dip

Makes 4-6 Servings

3-4 slices deli ham, cut or torn into 1" pieces
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, swiss, whatever floats your boat!)
1 tsp cayenne
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1/4-1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions:

Oven: Mix all ingredients together, spread in a pie dish and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Crockpot: Mix all ingredients together and spread in a crockpot. Cook on low until heated through & bubbly, about 30-45 minutes. Leave on keep warm to serve right from crockpot.

Microwave: Put cream cheese in microwaveable bowl and microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute until soft and mixable. Stir in shredded cheese and microwave another 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Stir again and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Microwave for another 30-45 seconds to incorporate everything.



This is one of my favorite dip recipes! It is the best with Ritz crackers but good on tortilla chips or just about any other cracker you have in your pantry. It's also good on tortillas and rolled up and eaten as is or sliced to make pinwheels. We have this several times during Gator football season!

Easy Shrimp Cocktail

Makes 8 Servings

2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/2 lb peeled, large cooked shrimp

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lemon rind, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a large bowl. Place cooked shrimp and marinade in a large ziploc bag. Seal and chill 8-24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Serve with cocktail sauce.



This shrimp cocktail is easy and delicious, although we like ours a little less "lemon-y" and a little more spicy! We usually up the hot sauce to a tablespoon or two and omit most of the lemon rind. This will be part of the "Favorite Things" meal for my husband tomorrow for Father's Day, he is going to love it!