Appetizers & Sides

Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter

June 26, 2018 by Danielle

Is there an item of food that just screams summer to you? For me, it’s corn on the cob. Every year my mouth starts to water as I think of the delicious ears of corn we’ll be eating come summer. And now we’ve taken it a notch higher with this corn on the cob with herb butter.

It’s so easy to just throw some corn husks into a pot, soak them, and then grill them up while grilling our favorite kabobs or steaks. And we don’t even have to bother with plates because the husks provide a great handle as we eat the corn.

The kids share our love of corn on the cob and as soon as they see in the store they start jumping up and down asking if they can put some in the cart.

Here’s the best way we’ve found to make the perfect barbecued corn and the best way to take the flavor up a notch… with herb butter!Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter

What you’ll need:

fresh ears of corn with husks on
large stock pot
water
herb butter – get the recipe here

What you do:

1. Rinse off corn. If there are many layers of husk, remove a few of the outer layers. Make sure to leave most of the layers on the corn.

2. Soak the corn in a large pot of water for at least 15- 30 minutes.

3. Shake off excess water and hrow the ears of corn on the grill with whatever else you’re grilling.

4. Grill the corn on medium heat (about 350) and rotate corn so that it’s charred evenly on each side.

5. Once the corn has been seared, remove from direct heat and place on indirect heat – like the top shelf of your grill. Allow to cook for 15 more minutes.

6. Using an oven mit, remove the corn and set on a tray to serve.7. When you’re ready to eat, peel back the husks and remove all silk from the corn. Discard the silk.

8. Slather with herb butter and enjoy!

The corn will be hot so you may want to let it cool down a bit before letting the kids go crazy. My kids can hardly contain themselves once we take the corn off the grill.

Can you tell she loves it?

What’s your favorite summer food?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: barbecue, bbq, corn, corn on the cob, grilling, grilling recipes, Side Dishes, vegetables, vegetarian

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip: The Perfect New Year’s Eve Appetizer

December 28, 2017 by Danielle

This creamy chicken jalapeno popper dip is the perfect appetizer for New Year’s Eve and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! This is a sponsored post.

I think I’m on a high. Still recovering from the Christmas cheer that spread throughout my house, family in town celebrating, and a fun weekend of even more celebrating in my near future. And, of course, smack dab in the middle of all of that is New Year’s Eve. The biggest party of the year, right?

We normally head over to my brother in laws house with appetizers and sparkling grape juice in hand for a kid-friendly NYE party where we celebrate ringing in the new year on GMT. We’re home by 6-7pm and the kids feel like they’ve gotten to celebrate the big countdown with their family and friends. But then my husband and I can enjoy a nice quiet meal together as we ring in the new year while the kids snooze.

I try and keep things simple by making a few appetizers to enjoy instead of a large meal. I bring a larger version of the appetizer to the party while I save a small version for us to heat up later. We can munch together and watch the festivities on tv as we remember what happened in the years past. It’s a great way to connect. But it’s also a great way to try out fun recipes I haven’t had a chance to try out in the previous year. And this creamy chicken jalapeno popper dip recipe is one of them! The kids loved that I paired it with their favorite sparkling grape juice.

I first saw a variation of this recipe on my friend Melissa’s site and knew I wanted to try it. But I wanted to see if I could mix those flavors with my favorite “crack dip” recipe. Adding chicken to this dish not only took it up a notch but made it more acceptable as a replacement for dinner. I’ll enjoy mine with celery while the husband dipped in with crackers and tortilla chips!

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 8 ounce packages Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
2 diced jalapeño peppers, seeds removed
1 cup Mexican style Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese
1-1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeños, chicken, and shredded cheeses. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approximately 9 x 9-inches).

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir until combined. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden. Broil on high for 30 seconds if it’s not as toasty on top as you’d like.

Serve warm with crackers, tortilla chips, baguette slices, vegetables, etc. as desired.

What do you munch on during the NYE celebration?

Love this recipe? Here are a few more you might like:

Pin this article for later!

Click the Pin button on the image below to save for later.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: appetizers, chicken, chicken jalapeno popper dip, dips, Holiday Appetizers, hot dips, jalapeno

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

April 14, 2017 by Danielle

Want to make your life easier? Try these hard boiled eggs in the instant pot and watch the shells slide off! Plus no more grey ring around the yolk.

One of the biggest uses I get out of my Instant Pot when I am not making dinner is making hard boiled eggs. I use the 5/5/5 method where I cook them for 5 minutes with a cup of water, let the pot naturally release steam for 5 minutes, then put the eggs in an ice bath for 5 minutes.

The shells fall off and the eggs are cooked beautifully! When I make them on the stove I always end up with gray rings around my yolk. No more gray rings! [Read more…]

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Breakfast, Easter, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: hard boiled eggs, Instant Pot, Instant Pot Recipes

Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad Pinwheels

March 31, 2017 by Danielle

With spring arriving and the change in weather, I try to turn to some of my favorite light, healthy lunch recipes. One of my favorite recipes is this healthy Mediterranean tuna salad.

By cutting out the mayo and subbing olive oil instead, this tuna salad is not only light and refreshing, it also has fewer calories in it as well! The best part is how versatile it is! Don’t have basil? Try another herb you do have. Don’t like onions? Try another flavor!

To spruce it up for the kids I decided to make these healthy Mediterranean tuna salad pinwheels. I simply wrapped up the tuna salad in some whole grain tortillas, layered some greens and fresh tomatoes from my garden, and piled on the tuna salad.

The results? Delicious! And I’m fairly certain the star of this recipe is the tuna.

Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad Pinwheels

1 can tuna (flaked)
1 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh chives (minced)
1/2 stalk celery (diced)
1/4 red onion (diced)
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tomato (sliced)
2 pieces red leaf lettuce
2 whole grain tortillas

Mix together the first six ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Grab the two tortillas and layer a piece of lettuce onto each one. Then add a few slices of tomatoes (about three on each tortilla).
Spread a bit of the tuna salad onto the middle of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla tightly. Secure with toothpicks and cut into rounds, using extra toothpicks in each individual pinwheel.
Serve and enjoy!

Not only is this a fabulous lunch for the family, it’s also a great appetizer for any parties coming up. Simple and easy to make, guests are sure to love the fresh, delicious flavor of these pinwheels.

What’s your go-to healthy lunch recipe?

Love this recipe? Try a few more:

Pin this article for later!

Click the Pin button on the image below to save for later.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Health & Wellness, In the Kitchen, Lunch, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Canned Tuna, Healthy Lunch, Healthy Tuna Recipes, Skipjack Tuna, Tuna, Tuna Recipes

Simple Football Party Snack Ideas: Savory and Sweet Dips

October 5, 2016 by Danielle

This shop featuring simple football party snack ideas has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #GameDayGreats #CollectiveBias

Do you have that one family member who’s just crazy about football? Loves the game and everything it means? That person in our family was my Grammy. She would have us over for the big game every year and without fail she’d know all of the players, who to look for, and could always call the winner. It was like her talent. Sadly my grammy passed away this year and this is a hard season for us to get through.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t do the one thing she was always able to do every year: Bring our family together to watch the game.

So I put together a delicious spread of savory and sweet dips along with some Coca-Cola slushes to enjoy with my family this past Sunday. What’s great about the spread is it’s versatility. You can make so many different sweet and savory dips and the touchdown toppings make everything a bit more fun. And as we’ve mentioned before, we’re huge RITZ fans. This time instead of topping our RITZ, we’re dipping them!

Football Party Snack Ideas

One of my favorite things about game day at Grammy’s was the appetizers. She’d always have the best spreads including this amazing green chile topping she put on a sliced baguette and baked until bubbly. The taste was out of this world! But it took forever to keep making (because everyone wanted more) so I decided to take her toppings and turn them into a dip for easy eatability (is that a word?).

Dips are a great way to serve the masses as well as provide variety. I like to use small ramekins to serve multiple dips instead of one large dip in one dish. And with a good cracker selection like my favorite RITZ, Wheat Thins and TRISCUIT crackers we can mix up savory and sweet dips. Have you had a pie made with a RITZ based crust? So good!

And to wash down the dips, we’ve served up our favorite Coca-Cola slushes. These are so popular over here and versatile as well. We can switch up the flavors and even add a splash of cream to make the flavor similar to a float. I, of course, prefer my drink of choice, Coke Zero, when making my slush. But the husband? He’s a Coca-Cola fan through and through.

Savory Dips: Grammy’s Green Chile Dip with Jack Cheese

As I mentioned before, I took one of my favorite appetizers from my Grammy and turned it into a dip. This dip is absolutely delicious on it’s own but would also be great mixed with some chopped chicken for a heartier dip. And TRISCUIT crackers and Wheat Thins are the perfect thing to enjoy it with.

1 pack 8oz cream cheese
1 can diced green chiles
1/4-1/3 cup sour cream
1 package 16 ounce shredded jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Soften cream cheese. Grab a mixing bowl and mix softened cream cheese and diced green chiles together until combined. Add sour cream and fold in. Then fold in 3/4 of the bag of jack cheese.

Place dip in a few ramekins, top with remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese and dip are bubbling.

Sweet Dips with Touchdown Toppings

While I always have a savory dip at any party we host, I’m just starting to find a love for sweet dips as well. Instead of baking for hours, I can throw together some sweet ingredients and serve it with some RITZ crackers. Add some touchdown toppings like bananas, strawberries, mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc and you have yourself a great portable dessert!

The saltiness of the RITZ crackers pairs perfectly with this chocolate pudding dip. Yup… you read that right! And don’t knock it till you try it. You can use store bought or homemade chocolate pudding and fold in some fresh whipped cream. Then serve with a variety of toppings. This party we went with sliced strawberries and bananas.

Need more sweet dip ideas to pair with your RITZ crackers? Check these out:

To feature our game day greats snacks, I used our large chalkboard as the background. I love having this large chalkboard as it’s so versatile and can be decorated in many different ways. It lets the food take the front stage in this set up.

Along with the chalkboard, I put together a super easy football goal post made out of 2 paper straws. I simply took one straw and cut it into three pieces then super glued it together. I added the second straw to the goal post and the placed it into a holder.

Another easy way to great a great football spread even better are these football bottle covers. Simply print on sticker paper or cardstock and cut out to wrap around your cups or bottles.

Download a FREE Football Bottle Wrapper here

You can find all of the Coca-Cola and Mondelez products featured in this post at your local Ralph’s along with everything else you need for the perfect football party spread!

With great dips, delicious drinks, and a simple party set up, you can serve up some game day greats to your guests with these simple football party snack ideas during the next game.

What’s your favorite game day snack?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Party Ideas, Recipes, Uncategorized

Rice Cooker Recipes: Coconut Lime Rice

April 14, 2016 by Danielle

I purchased some hazelnut crusted salmon at Trader Joe’s this weekend in case I got lazy one night this week… well, that night came quickly. I wanted something else to make the dish really pop but didn’t know what to make.

So with a bit of searching in my pantry, and perusing Food Network, I was inspired by a meal I watched and tried to re-create it with what I had on hand. I was not disappointed! This coconut lime rice is not only easy to make, it’s so delicious, rich, and flavorful. And it paired perfectly with the salmon.

Plus, I could use the rice cooker to make it. That means one less pot on the stove or dish in the oven. Looking for a great rice maker? This one is my favorite!

Coconut Lime Rice and Beans

2 cups brown jasmine rice
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
1 1/4 cup water
1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Juice of 1/2 a lime

Throw everything but the chives and lime juice into a rice cooker and flip the switch to cook… wait for switch to go to warm.

Fold in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper if desired. Squirt the juice of 1/2 a lime on top and stir.

Makes 8 servings, 7 WW points per serving (and sooo worth it!)

What’s your favorite rice cooker recipe?

Looking for something else to make in your rice cooker? You won’t want to miss this delicious oatmeal recipe!

How to Make Oatmeal in a Rice Cooker

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: coconut, healthy side dishes, lime, rice, rice cooker, Side Dishes, sides

10 Ways to Cook Carrots {From Garden to Table}

January 4, 2016 by Danielle

I know winter just arrived but I’m already thinking about my garden and what I am going to plant in it as soon as I find the time! Now that we’ve moved our chickens to another part of the yard, I can get my garden going again without the fear of them eating just about everything in there. One thing that the kids love to plant is carrots.

Not only are they super easy to grow, they’re also delicious in many different ways. From pulling them up and eating them right out of the ground (after a little washing) to cleaning and chopping them up into our favorite soups, to throwing them in the new Vitamix I got and juicing them!

There are quite a few ways to cook carrots but sometimes you just go with what you know. I find myself just roasting them up or steaming them but I could be doing so much more! Below are 10 ways to spruce up how you’re using carrots. And I’m pretty sure my kids wouldn’t think twice if I put a few in their mac and cheese!

10 Ways to Cook Carrots

Maple Glazed Carrots with Bacon | Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Shredded Potato, Beet and Carrot Latkes for Easter Brunch | Handmade in the Heartland
Steamed Honey Glazed Carrot Medallions | It Happens in a Blink
Carrot and White Bean Veggie Cutlets | Amuse Your Bouche
Sneaky Carrot Mac and Cheese | White House Black Shutters
Carrot and Bok Choy Slaw | Confessions of an Overworked Mom
Carrot Orzo Risotto | Food Done Light
Carrot and Sage Soup | Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen
Cucumber, Carrot and Edamame Salad | Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Fresh Carrots with Butter and Dill | A Family Feast

What’s your favorite way to incorporate carrots into a meal?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Dinner, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Soups & Salads, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Tagged With: carrot, carrots, easy recipes, healthy recipes, vegetables, vegetarian

Keto Friendly Side Dish: Mashed Cauliflower

November 20, 2015 by Danielle

I haven’t really mentioned it but after chatting about my new LCHF way of eating, I decided to start a blog solely dedicated to the recipes I try, restaurants I enjoy, and our monthly date nights and how I navigate through the food menus while out and about in San Diego. One recipe I’ve become a bit obsessed with on this way of eating is mashed cauliflower. Now you may be thinking why oh why would you want mashed cauliflower when you can have the real thing? Well on this WOE, a starchy potato loses to cauliflower any day! Plus? I can add tons of fats to this dish to help me meet my macros for the day (I struggle with eating enough fat). Real butter. Heavy whipping cream. And a sprinkle of salt and pepper. That’s all it takes to make this deliciously silky, smooth mashed cauliflower dish.

You can find the recipe, and my new blog by heading over to Low Carb San Diego here.

Like what you see? Follow me on my new social channels at @LowCarbSanDiego on Twitter and on Facebook and see what I’m eating, how I’m doing, and how easy it is to follow a LCHF diet!

What do you love to mix in your mashed cauliflower?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian Tagged With: cauliflower, Keto, LCHF, Low Carb, Low Carb San DIego, Recipes, Side Dishes, vegetarian

Keto Friendly Grilling Meals: Hatch Green Chile Chicken Drumsticks

November 13, 2015 by Danielle

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LegendaryTailgate #CollectiveBias

So it’s been a little over a month since I’ve switched over to a low carb high fat lifestyle (LCHF) and I’m starting to get the hang of things. I’m a bit obsessed with experimenting in the kitchen and love to find great meals that I can tweak. One of my favorite recipes to make over and over again is mashed cauliflower. I don’t know why… maybe it’s the heavy whipping cream and butter? Yeah, it’s definitely the heavy whipping cream and butter!

But I can’t just eat mashed cauliflower for dinner. Or serve it to the family. They might riot.

This weekend I was doing my grocery run sans kids (yay!) with coffee in hand (double yay!) and I headed down the marinade and sauces aisle. It’s one of my favorite aisles to peruse for help for dinner. Not only are there plenty of lower carb/sugar options, but they help make tasty meals in little to no time. This time around I found a delicious green chile marinade in Stubbs Anytime Sauces. Paired with the Foster Farms drumsticks I picked up on sale, I was ready for grilling!

One thing I love about grilling, even in November, is that I can prepare just about anything on the grill. What’s not to love about a full meal being cooked outside while I don’t have to dirty up the kitchen? Less dishes in my sink. With the help of some foil, I was able to cook up the asparagus and the cauliflower right on the grill along side the drumsticks as they cooked.

And? It’s perfect for tailgating meals too. When we head out to watch our team play on the field when they’re here in town we love enjoying a meal on the grill before heading into the stadium. Or when we’re hosting family over to watch the game on TV. Grilling makes it easier for us to host our family and enjoy time with them while they’re visiting with us.

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Drumsticks

1 jar Stubb’s Anytime Sauces in Green Chile
1 package (24oz) Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken Drumsticks
Olive Oil

Place the drumsticks in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour Stubbs Anytime Sauces over chicken. Cover dish with saran wrap or lid and marinate for 4-24 hours.

Preheat grill. Grab a paper towel and blot with olive oil. Rub on grates to prevent meat from sticking.

Once grill is heated, add drumsticks to the grill. Barbecue for 30-35 minutes or until completely cooked.

Let rest for 5 minutes and serve with veggies.

Serves 8 | Nutritional Info: 123 calories, 2 Net Carbs, 2g Carbs, 5g Fat, 16g Protein, 0g Fiber

What’s your favorite thing to grill on the barbecue?

Looking to make grill time easier? Check out Stubbs anytime sauces at Vons! I found mine in the BBQ Sauce and Vinegar aisle.

When you’re in the store, check for an Instant Redeemable Coupon that can be found in-store on the Foster Farms chicken packaging for a discount on Stubbs BBQ sauce so you can save instantly. The coupons expire on 12/31/15.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Dinner, In the Kitchen, LCHF, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: grilling recipes, Keto Friendly, LCHF, vegetables

Party On A Ritz: Carnitas Street Taco Bites

November 3, 2015 by Danielle

These carnitas street taco bites featuring our love of travel and food are brought to you by our sponsor, Ritz, . Read ahead to find out how to marry your favorite destinations all on one tablescape!

I’m planning a fall harvest party for my family and cannot wait to share a few of the recipes I’ll be serving at the party. With the help of Ritz, I’ve created two delicious destination dishes that include one inspired by local foods here in San Diego, and another dish inspired by a Southwest Airlines destination I’m dying to travel to.

One thing these recipes have in common are that they’re both very simple to put together and the dessert can be made ahead for easy serving at the party. I love make ahead dishes! Not only do they make planning easier, timing is also easier with a few make ahead dishes at the party.

I’ve also submitted both of these recipes to be featured on LuvRitz.com in a contest they’re hosting with Southwest Airlines. I have a chance to win a $500 Southwest Airlines voucher if I receive the most votes on my recipes! How awesome is that? Read ahead to check out my recipes and don’t forget to vote for me:

I’ve lived in San Diego all my life. Born and raised with deep roots in this city. I’m 3rd generation San Diegan and my husband is 4th generation. It’s pretty rare to find one of us around town and we’re pretty proud of the city we live in. One thing I absolutely love about this city is the copious amounts of good mexican food available around town. From our favorite taco shops, to our go-to mexican sit down restaurants, whenever I have a craving for the food I love, I am always close by.

I don’t just head out for mexican food either. Being raised by a dad who’s half mexican and half english rubs off on you, even if that means eating tortillas and drinking tea for breakfast. And some of my relatives make the best carne asada and mexican rice out there. I remember my dad’s stories of his father making fresh tortillas for him and his siblings and how he wished he had a chance to learn how to make them too.

Needless to say, I enjoy preparing mexican inspired dishes in my own home today. And that includes street tacos! But when I’m serving food at a party I love making things bite size. So for our upcoming fall harvest party I decided to miniaturize our favorite street tacos and put all of our favorite flavors on a Ritz. All of the deliciousness of carnitas street tacos in one bite!

Carnitas Street Taco Bites

Ritz crackers
Carnitas, shredded
Guacamole
Onions/cilantro

Grab a Ritz, top with shredded carnitas, guacamole, and onion/cilantro mixture. Place in mouth, chew, and enjoy!

Carnitas Street Taco Bites

Ritz crackers
Carnitas (shredded)
Guacamole
Onions/cilantro

Grab a Ritz, top with shredded carnitas, guacamole, and onion/cilantro mixture. Repeat on as many crackers as you’d like. Place in mouth, chew, and enjoy!

Stay tuned to see more of my fall harvest party next week! In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek of the tablescape I’m planning.

What are your favorite bite-size meals for parties?

Love this recipe and want more? Here are some great dips to dip your Ritz into!

Pin this article for later!

Click the Pin button on the image below to save for later.

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, Desserts, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Party Ideas, Recipes, Thanksgiving Tagged With: appetizers, bites, carnitas, pecan pie, Ritz, Southwest Airlines, Thanksgiving

Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter

What’s your favorite summer food?

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip: The Perfect New Year’s Eve Appetizer

Creamy Chicken Jalapeno Popper Dip

What do you munch on during the NYE celebration?

Hard Boiled Eggs in the Instant Pot

Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad Pinwheels

Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad Pinwheels

What’s your go-to healthy lunch recipe?

Simple Football Party Snack Ideas: Savory and Sweet Dips

Football Party Snack Ideas

Savory Dips: Grammy’s Green Chile Dip with Jack Cheese

Sweet Dips with Touchdown Toppings

What’s your favorite game day snack?

Rice Cooker Recipes: Coconut Lime Rice

Coconut Lime Rice and Beans

What’s your favorite rice cooker recipe?

10 Ways to Cook Carrots {From Garden to Table}

10 Ways to Cook Carrots

What’s your favorite way to incorporate carrots into a meal?

Keto Friendly Side Dish: Mashed Cauliflower

What do you love to mix in your mashed cauliflower?

Keto Friendly Grilling Meals: Hatch Green Chile Chicken Drumsticks

Hatch Green Chile Chicken Drumsticks

What’s your favorite thing to grill on the barbecue?

Party On A Ritz: Carnitas Street Taco Bites

Carnitas Street Taco Bites

Carnitas Street Taco Bites

What are your favorite bite-size meals for parties?

About Me

Contact Me

danielle@acraftyspoonful.com

Explore

Sponsors

Disclosure

Archives

What’s New