With summer here, I always get excited about the gatherings that come with the season. I look forward to gathering with my family and friends for fellowship and good food. I thought I'd share some of my favorite appetizers for any summer gathering, some shared to me by my closest friends.
These are quick and easy and a crowd pleasers. Enjoy!
Tonya's Dixie Caviar
1 drained can of whole kernel corn
1 drained can of black eyed peas
1 chopped green bell pepper
Chopped green onion about 5
Chopped tomato ( add enough to make it look pretty with red)
Chopped celery about 3 stalks
Chopped jalapeno peppers (not the canned ones, fresh I used five big ones.)
Mix with Zesty Italian Salad dressing and chill. Eat with Fritos or Scoops.
Easy Jalapeno Popper Bites
1 tube crescent rolls
1/2 pound bacon (or use the precooked packaged bacon)
3 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 (8-ounce) block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
Ranch dressing (optional), for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook bacon, If you'd like, cut the bacon up in pieces (I used kitchen scissors) and then cook it.
Cut up jalapeno. Be sure to remove seeds. (If you are sensitive to jalapeno, you may want to wear gloves while doing this).
Now begin separating your crescent rolls into triangle shapes.
On each triangle, put a smear of cream cheese. I like a lot of cream cheese so I put about a half tablespoon. or so on each one.
Then put a piece of jalapeno, followed by some cooked bacon.
Roll them up into bundles. Just do your best to close all the seams so the cream cheese doesn't run out while baking.
Now place all your bundles on your baking sheet (seam side down). I usually only cook one set at a time.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes (or until golden brown).
Take them out and serve warm.
Roast Beef Sliders
For the Sliders:
20 Hawaiian Rolls
40 slices of thin deli roast beef
8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
8 ounces shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
8 ounces shredded Triple Cheddar cheese
6 ounces Horseradish sauce
For the Marinade:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon Poppy seeds
Assembly takes about 10-15 minutes. Refrigerate for 4-24 hours before baking.
I didn't use the whole 6 ounces of horseradish sauce. Use to your liking.
Combine marinade ingredients (except poppy seeds) and set aside. Cut rolls in half and lay the bottoms of the rolls in a 9x13 baking dish. Spread a small amount of horseradish sauce over the roll bottoms. Top each roll bottom with 2 slices of roast beef. Sprinkle all three cheese over the top of the roast beef. Spread horseradish sauce on the inside of the top of the roll. Place over cheese. Drizzle the marinade over the top of all of the rolls evenly. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Uncover and bake sliders for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese is hot and melted.
Sun-dried Tomato Dip
8 ounce cream cheese softened
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil plus more for garnish
½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 green onions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
5 dashes Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce, adjust to taste
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Crackers or vegetable sticks for dipping
Place dip ingredients in a food processor. Whizz for about 20 seconds until the sun dried tomatoes are blended.
Transfer into a serving dish. Serve with crackers, chips, or veggie sticks!
Deb's Corn Dip
2 packages cream cheese
3 cans shoe peg corn, drained
2 cans Rotel (Mexican style with lime and cilantro), drained
Mix ingredients together and microwave until smooth.
Serve with Frito Scoops.
