Mini Crockpot - Warm Buffalo Chicken Dip and a BIG Scoop.

I get excited over little things.

Serious high-level excitement when I get to use my mini crockpot.
 
Warm Buffalo Chicken Dip works splendidly in one of those darling little mini appetizer-sized crockpot.

I ramble on about these little gems in an earlier post 1-2-3 Dip.

I mega Love these mini appetizer slow cookers.

Such the perfect size for entertaining or to grab-n-go for an appetizer on the run.


8 ounce cube cream cheese
1/2 c. Franks WING Sauce
1/2 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c. Ranch Dressing
1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt
2 (12.5 ounce) cans Chunk White Premium Chicken in water, drained
BIG Wheat Thins
Celery Sticks, optional

Click HERE for Printable Recipe

You can serve Buffalo Chicken Dip with any crunchy type scooping tool, such as Tortilla Chips or Celery Sticks.

My favorite scooper thingy for Buffalo Chicken Dip are Wheat Thin BIGS.

BIG.

Sturdy.

Which means more dip substance per scoop that I can shovel into my mouth.

NOTE:  Franks have several types of HOT Sauce.

There's Franks Red Hot Sauce ORIGINAL.

And Franks Red Hot WINGS (Buffalo).

For the OPTIMAL Buffalo Wing Flavor, be sure to get the Fanks Red Hot WINGS flavor.

There IS a difference, trust me.

In a medium sized pan on medium-high heat, combine the drained chicken, cream cheese, hot wing sauce, Mozzarella cheese, yogurt and Ranch dressing.  Stir frequently until cheeses are all melted, all is warm and bubbly, and everything is right with the world.

Transfer Buffalo Chicken mixture into your mini crockpot and turn setting on low.

BIG.

STURDY.

Wheat Thins.

Scoop.

Yum.

Mini Crockpot Appetizer. 1-2-3 DIP. A No-Brainer

Over the past several years, I've somehow obsessively obtained three of these little 1.5 quart mini crockpots.

My recent purchase is this one by Proctor Silex.  

They come in some really snazzy colors as you can see.  I got the Lime Green one, but they also have bright orange, yellow and red.

They're incredibly handy because they are specifically made for get-togethers.  Easy to transport and small 1.5 quart which makes them utterly perfect for warm dips.

I loved my little lime green friend even more, when I opened the box and found it came with one of those handy white stretchy things.

You know.  The big white rubber band that keeps the lid from flopping off when your husband takes a turn too fast on your way to Jan & Bob's because you're running late.

These little guys are ideal when you're hosting a get-together and you have a couple different types of warm dips you wish to serve your guests.

They take up very little space and this way you can offer your guests a variety of warm appetizers, without the GIANT crockpots taking up huge amounts of counter or table space. 

One placed in the kitchen......and perhaps one placed in the main area where the party is being held.....Leads to........ "no crowds at the dip line".

Here is one of my favorite warm dips that can be served perfectly in your Mini 1.5 Quart crockpot.

Plus the name totally gives away the recipe.

One-two-three ingredients.....it's a No-Brainer.

1 Roll Jimmy Dean Sausage (Regular Flavor)

2 Cans Rotel, Drained

3 Cubes Cream Cheese 

Get it?

One-Two-Three Dip.

No-Brain-er.  

Brown the sausage on the stove in a large-ish pot.  You can use Hamburger if you wish, instead of the Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll.

Once the sausage (or hamburger) has completely browned, empty the two cans of Rotel in the pot.  Be sure to drain the Rotel.  Don't want your dip all watery.

Cut up your 3 cubes of cream cheese into quarters, and plop right in with the mixture.

Place the heat on Medium High and keep stirring regularly until cream cheese melts.  Be sure to stir frequently, you don't want stuff to stick.

Once cream cheese is all melted, transfer into your mini crock pot.

Now if you are a really good at time management, then by all means, fry up the sausage, and then place the cubes of cream cheese and Rotel in the crockpot, add the cooked sausage, and then let the crockpot do it's "slow cooker thing".

But if you're like me, and running around like a maniac before a party, then you might want to get everything all melted real quick-like on the stove first.

One-Two-Three you're done.

Serve with Tortilla Chips.

Thank you Jeri A. for this recipe! 

I'll never forget the day you brought this into work.  I think I shoveled half of it in my mouth as fast as you can say one-two-three.

MAN CAVE Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza Roll

Man Cave. 

Definition:
Man Cave, sometimes called Man Space or Man Sanctuary - is a place where guys can "do as they please" without fear of upsetting any female in regards to house rules or decor design.

Man Caves are a place to be away from women.  To indulge in childish hobbies. To hang out with male friends.

A place to retreat -  to watch sports, play Poker, or in my husband's case, to sing Karaoke and pretend he's the lead singer of Styx.

A Man Cave can present a guy with an "opportunity to disappear for hours without leaving the premises".

Wifely Instructions:
Make this recipe, open the Man Cave door ever so slightly, quickly stick your arm inside, and carefully hand your hungry Caveman and his friends this delicious Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza Roll.

He will thank you.

His Caveman friends will thank you.

And this will give you 2 additional hours of peace and quiet to take a bath, read a book, watch a girly movie, and to have the Wife Cave all to yourself.

1 lb. lean ground beef
5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 c. chopped onion, chopped in small pieces
8 ounces (1/2 lb.) Velveeta  Cheese, cut into cubes
1 roll (13.8 ounces) Refrigerated Pizza Crust

Must Have Side Items:

Ketchup
Mustard
Claussen Refrigerated Kosher Dill Sandwich Pickles
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Fry bacon slices and crumble.  Set aside.


Fry hamburger and onion together.  Once hamburger is done, drain, return meat and onion to pan.  Add bacon and Velveeta cubes.  Heat until cheese is melted, stirring often. Once cheese is melted, and combined with meat mixture, take off burner and set aside.

Take large cookie sheet and spray it with Pam.


Unroll refrigerated pizza roll and gently press out to create a 15 x 8 inch rectangle. I use my 1/2 sheet, or Jelly Roll pan.  Gently push the dough out to the sides.

Top dough, evenly with meat mixture, trying to spread the meat out all the way to the edges.


Roll up the dough, starting from the long end and roll carefully with both hands, into a log.

Make sure seam side is down, and any holes that might have torn in the dough, be sure to pinch them together.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.  Be sure to start watching, after 18 minutes, as ovens really do vary.  That's what the oven window is for.

 

Cut into 6 slices.

Serve each slice on a plate, with a squirt of Ketchup and Mustard for dipping, as well as a Claussen pickle for the crunch factor. (Personally I love the cool crisp snap of the pickle after each bite).

Note:  These slices are to be eaten with your hands.  Do not hand out forks or knives. Forks are for women and children.
Cavemen use their hands, and they are to be picked up, and dunked into the mustard and ketchup before each bite. 

Purple nail polish in photo above does not belong to my Caveman. According to the rules and regulations of Cave Man handbook, article C, section 2; "Nail polish of any kind is strictly prohibited to anyone that enters the cave".

Company's Coming CREAM CHEESE JALAPENO CRESCENT POPPERS

When we have people over to our house to watch a sports event on the telly, I start thinking days and days ahead of what to make.

Besides cleaning my house like a mad-woman, the second thing that's on my mind is what sort of snack can I make.  I dwell on it literally for days.   I mean DAYS.

I know, I know.  Too late to fix me now, I'm too far gone.

So in times like this when I'm having issues, these little guys are like my double dose of Advil for a "company's-comin- over-stressed-out" headache.

So easy.

Super good pop-in-your-mouth-I-want-more kind of appetizer.

Great with an Ice Cold Beer or Margaritas (a must actually).

Sweet, Hot, Creamy, Flaky Yum-a-licious.

And last but not least, pretty darn cute.

1 tube regular Crescent Rolls
1 (4 ounce) can Diced Jalapenos (you will actually only use half of this can)
3/4 (8 ounce) cube cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp. sugar

Note:  The ingredients above make 32 little Crescent Poppers.  It's easy for a grown man to shovel about 8 of these in his mouth without thinking about it.  So depending on who you're having over, you might want to get another tube of Crescent Rolls and one more cube of cream cheese.  Don't worry about the Jalapenos, you will have enough for a second batch with this one can.  Unless you want over the top spicy poppers.

Preheat oven 375 degrees.

Cut your cube of cream cheese and throw about 3/4 of it into a bowl.  Now take almost half of your Jalapenos from the can and throw in with your cream cheese.

This is the type of jalapenos I can get at my local grocery store.  They are diced up really fine and work perfectly.  But if you prefer to use fresh Jalapenos, then go for it.  I just didn't want to get my fingers all spicy in case I need to rub my eyes anytime soon.

To your bowl with your cream cheese and Jalapenos, add your Tablespoon of sugar. 

To me, this sugar addition is important.  I like the sweet, spicy taste. The sugar is not overwhelming, it's just the perfect accent.  I mean really, anyone can add cream cheese and jalapenos to a crescent roll, but not everyone adds sugar.  It's our little secret.

Take your fork and mash it all up really well.  Be sure to incorporate all that sugar in really well.

This is where I like to do a little taste test.  I prefer a bit more spicy poppers, so I added just a bit more jalapenos.

These are not really as hot as they might appear, but then maybe that's just me.  So ya better test it first.

Set your bowl of cream cheese jalapenos aside for now.

Open up your tube of crescent rolls and place on your cutting board.

Separate them into two rectangles, it should look like this, with all the little perforations.

Now pinch together the perforations to create two nice rectangles.  Sometimes I like to use my little mini rolling pin afterwards, to make it a nice and smooth rectangle.



With the back of your spoon, spread half of the cream cheese mixture, onto one of the rectangles. Save the other half of the mixture for the other rectangle.  (You will have TWO rectangles per tube of crescent rolls.)

Get to spreading.

Once you've spread your half portion of cream cheese on one of your rectangles, start with the LONG end of the roll, and get to rolling.

Once it's all rolled up, you will need to cut your log into 16 pinwheels.

Don't be nervous, I'm not very good at math, but I've found a really easy way to do this so it all comes out evenly.

Get a sharp knife. Really sharp if you have one.

Cut your log right in half. Now you should have two logs.  Then cut those two logs in half, and now you should have four logs. 

Get the idea?  I'm so smart, I amaze myself sometimes.

So now you should have four logs.

Now, cut these dolls in half and now you have eight smaller logs.

I bet you didn't think you were gonna get a math lesson did ya?

Now of course, last but not least, cut these little sweet-ums in half.

You now have 16 pinwheel poppers.

Note:  This is where you could refrigerate these little guys if you wanted to make them ahead of time.  Then just bake them right when the Gang is getting antsy.

Place your 16 poppers, standing up, on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.  Don't forget this step cause you sure don't want to be prying off your stuck-on poppers in front of your guests now do ya?

Make sure you stand them up, with the cream cheese facing upward.

Aren't they so cute?

Pop these into the oven for about 13 minutes until they are golden brown.  Keep an eye on them, as each oven varies.

Once your first batch is in the oven, get to spreading and rollin and cutting the other rectangle. Man I'm bossy.

Once they are done, immediately slide them off the cookie sheet, onto a plate, walk that plate into your crowd of hungry guests, and hear the Ohhs and Ahhs.

Then watch these poppers, pop, one by one, into the mouths of your ever thankful house guests.

Thank you my little "company's-coming-headache-free" appetizers.

Now where did I put my icey cold Margarita?

Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Wings. Sweet and Spicy Like Antonio Banderas!

What is better than a combination of Sweet and Spicy?

It's honestly the best combination of flavors that will every hit your palate.

First you taste sweet, then the hot hits you, what a wonderful surprise.

Guys love eating chicken wings cause it brings them back to their caveman, eating-with-their-hands days.

Gals love these wings, cause they're sweet and spicy.  Kinda like Antonio Banderas.

20 chicken drumettes
1 c. Seedless Red Raspberry Jam (be sure to get seedless)
1 (4 ounce) can diced Jalapenos
1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 TBSP Honey
1/2 stick butter

Note:  I bought the little chicken drummies, but feel free to use both chicken drummies AND chicken wings. After all, they ARE called chicken "wings".  It's just a personal preference.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small saucepan on medium heat, place the seedless raspberry jam, honey and the small can of diced Jalapenos. Stir to combine and let it sit in the saucepan on low to get all sticky, sweet & spicy. Just like Antonio.

Take your large pot, and put in the half stick of butter and 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce and turn your stove up to level 9, just below high.

Get that butter and Worcestershire all melted and hot.

Once the butter is all melted, place just half (10) of your chicken drummies in the butter. I only do 10 at a time, cause you don't want them to get all crowded.

Use your tongs to gently place your drummies in the butter, this stuff will splatter and totally ruin your weekend.

With your tongs, get the chicken all coated with the butter.  Leave them to saute for just about 5 minutes.

You are not totally cooking them, just getting them warm and coating them with the butter mixture.

Once they are all warm and coated, about 5 minutes, take the 10 drummies out and place them in a large bowl to hang out.

Now take your other 10 drummies and with your tongs, place the last 10 in the pot with the butter and Worcestershire.  Toss and do the same with those as you did the first 10.

When those are done, place them in the large bowl with their other friends.

Now take the raspberry jalapeno mixture off the stove, and pour all of it into the waiting drummies.

Mix the drummies all around with the sauce. They are so excited to be sweet and spicy like Mr. Banderas.

Now get out your jelly roll pan or 1/4 sheet pan, the one with sides, and spray it with Pam.

Take your tongs and place the drummies in the pan.  Take a large spoon, and gently pour all the raspberry jalapeno sauce over each of the drummies, coating them all the way. 

Raw chicken isn't pretty I know, but I wanted to give you an idea about making sure they are good and coated.

Now pop these sweeties in the oven for about 35 minutes.  Keep checking them, cause you are going to flip them with your tongs halfway through.

You'll know when they are done. Both sides will look wonderfully golden.  The entire cooking process should be about 40 minutes.  Could be 30 depending on your oven, so just keep checking.

Next thing you know, you won't be calling them "little drummies" anymore.

They will be all grown up, sweet and spicy just like their idol, Antonio Banderas (said in the most wonderful sultry Latin American accent of course).

HINT:

Be sure to let them sit for about 15 minutes before you dive into them.  They are way better when left to get all sticky and wonderful for about 15 minutes or more.

Can I Get That Recipe? WHISKEY MEATBALLS

"Can you e-mail me that recipe?"

"Oh I MUST have that recipe!"

How many times will you hear that sentence this Holiday?

Inside my very special recipe binder, are recipes from all over the place -  From cookbooks, the internet, from friends, and even from people I've only met once (at a party, where I've said "Oh I MUST have that recipe").

This recipe came from that ONE SIMPLE SENTENCE.  A friend mentioned her Whiskey Meatballs, and I immediately thought ..... "Oh I NEED That Recipe"?

So I asked.

And she generously obliged.

Thank you Mary E. for sharing your DELICIOUS Holiday Whiskey Meatballs.  And I mean DELICIOUS!

Here are the ingredients:

1 Trusty Crockpot

1 bag (1 lb.) frozen meatballs

1/2 heaping c. Ketchup

1/2 c. Packed Brown Sugar

1/4 c. Whiskey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE

NOTE:  1 bag of (1 pound) frozen meatballs is only about 18 to 20 meatballs.  That is perfect for a small get-together.  But if you're going to a larger party, you might want to get TWO bags of meatballs, which you would then, DOUBLE the above recipe.

ANOTHER NOTE:  I happened to have some left-over Bourbon Whiskey from my Bourbon slushes recipe, so I just used that.  I'm liquor illiterate, so I don't know the difference between plain ole Whiskey and Bourbon Whiskey.  Either way, they turned out DELISH with my Bourbon Whiskey.  Whiskey is Whiskey I guess (no feedback please from subject-matter experts).

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except your meatballs.  Mix up really well.

Once all Whiskey'd up, place your frozen meatballs into your Crockpot.

I have an old vintage 70s 'Crockpot with little Mushrooms on it - so cute.  What I'm trying to say is (I got side-tracked with the cutsie mushrooms),  the older Crockpots are smaller, which is what I like for "Party" recipes.  Seems like the new Crockpots are so dang BIG.  The older Crockpots are smaller, and are perfect for the "Party" Crockpot. (I got my 70s one at a local flea market)

I DO have the large Crockpot (Thank You Kathy R.) and that is perfect for dinners and such. But if you are only using 1 or 2 bags of meatballs for this recipe, then the smaller Crock is better.

Enough about Crockposts.  Place your frozen meatballs into your Crock, and pour over the Whiskey sauce.  Mix it up all around so each meatball is coated with the Whiskey goodness.

Now turn the heat up to High.

Let them warm up, and stir occassionally.  This could take about an hour,since they are frozen,  then turn them down to low for a couple hours until they are nice and warm.

Party Meatballs are da bomb!  Especially with Whiskey.

I promise you, someone will ask you "Can I have this recipe?"

OH BOY THESE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!

Oh Boy....now I know where they name Whisky-a-Go-Go came from!

 Man these things are good!

Thank you Mary E.



P.S.

Fast forward to the next day. I had a few meatballs leftover......I boiled a couple potatoes, mashed them up real quick like,  and made some buttery mashed potatoes. 

 Oh my gosh....Look what I did! 

 OOOOOOHHHH SO GOOD!