Even though you may not like artichokes… trust me this recipe is good! This was given to me by a friend of mine… you might know him… Meteorologist Gannon Medwick! Well actually his wife, Jen, was the one who made it =0) I had this at their house more than a year ago and still remembered how good it was. In fact when I got the recipe recently I made it right away and three people have already asked me for the recipe. I normally like to keep my recipes under ten ingredients but this one is really easy to make!!!! This would be nice to bring to a Christmas party too! I hope you enjoy.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup of sour cream
¼ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 14oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 8 oz. block 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
½ 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry.

Bag of tortilla chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine 1 ½ cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended.
Spoon mixture into a 1 ½ quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with chips!

Okay so this next recipe is probably as old as peanut butter and jelly ,however… it’s one of the best. With the holidays right around the corner I thought it was a good time to post it. This is another EASY recipe that can feed a lot of people ( you have to double or triple it though). Yum I can smell the Thanksgiving feasts already!!!!!

Ingredients:
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can CAMPBELL’S® Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp.  black pepper
1 1/3 cups FRENCH’S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) cut green beans, drained or 4 cups fresh, cooked cut green beans.

Directions:
1.MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
2.BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
3.STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

Pizza Casserole

This is a recipe I remember having when I was a kid. If you’re a fan of cheese and bread than I can’t think of a reason you wouldn’t like this recipe. It’s a nice change to just having normal pizza. Forgive me if the proportions aren’t right, I normally just mix and add as I go along. 

2 (8.5 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough—cut into pieces
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce
Your choice of toppings!! (My favorite is pepperoni, green pepper and mushroom.)

Mix ingredients together in a casserole and leave a little cheese to spread on top before baking. Bake as long as the directions on the dough say (maybe a little longer). 

This is one of my healthier recipes that is good all year long. All the southern ladies (grandmas, moms, and aunts) on my husbands’ side of the family make it and while I never really cared much for mayo or peas, the ingredients work well together and it’s delicious. For those of you who really hate mayo, using your favorite dressing works too. To make it even healthier you can use low-fat mayo and low fat cheese. You can also use turkey bacon too but I would definitely use real bacon instead of the bacon bits. I hope you enjoy this family favorite and this is another recipe that can easily feed a lot of people.  By the way, I won’t list exact portions because it’s all up to you and what you like and how much you like it!

7 Layer Salad

1. Lettuce
2. Peas
3. Green peppers
4. Onion
5. Boiled Eggs
6. Cheese
7. Bacon

Don’t forget mayo or your favorite dressing

In whatever flat dish you would like (I normally use a 9x13 glass dish), put a nice thick layer of lettuce. Then add your peas, rings of green pepper and onion. Next, add slices of boiled egg and a thin layer of mayo. I find using the mayo in a squirt bottle works perfect. You squirt your lines of mayo and then spread it with a spatula. Finally you add your cheese and bacon. For those of you who like salt and pepper, adding it on the mayo works well.

One of my favorite types of foods is dips! They are the perfect snacks, but I’ve also been known to make a couple dips to equal a great dinner too.  I just recently started making my own guacamole and this recipe is delicious. My favorite chips to serve it with are the Lime Tostitos (I love cooking with lime juice)! I hope you enjoy.

Guacamole Dip

2 Avocados mashed
½ Red Onion (Minced)
1-2 Serrano Chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
2 Tablespoons Cilantro Leaves, finely chopped
1 Tablespoons, fresh lime or lemon juice
½ Teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of fresh grated black pepper
½ ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped.

Mix all ingredients but make sure you add tomatoes last so you don’t crush them. Refrigerate and serve with chips!

By now it’s probably not a secret that I don’t stick to the healthiest of meals all the time. And while I do try to eat as healthy as I can, I strongly believe in moderation. And besides, if you’re going to splurge and eat something fatty, it may as well be delicious! With that being said, here is another fabulous recipe from one of my favorite chefs…Ms. Paula Deen. I was never a real big fan of the traditional Mac and Cheese as a kid but as an adult I have found an all new love! It’s such a great twist to an old recipe.

The Lady’s Cheesy Mac

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

Courtesy:The Food Network

As we head into the middle of August it’s safe to assume many of us are gearing up for football season!!! It’s also safe to say we all will be attending at least one football party this fall and I have the perfect recipe to share with your friends. Not only is it delicious, it’s another fast and simple recipe that you probably already have the ingredients you need in your fridge. I hope you enjoy… Thanks mom for another great recipe! Go Pirates and Noles!!

Buffalo Wing Dip

1 8oz block cream cheese
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
3 cups frozen breaded chicken, cut up
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Pre heat oven to 350.

Spread room temperature cream cheese in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
Cook chicken according to package directions, then cut into small cubes and spread over cream cheese.
Drizzle over with ranch dressing then wing sauce.
Top with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or corn chips. Yum!!!

Normally I like to share recipes that are pretty simple to make with few ingredients but I couldn’t pass up this delicious recipe for Turkey Burgers I saw on a recent episode of Oprah—which by the way who doesn’t love Oprah?
The episode was “Oprah’s Favorite Things for Summer” and she started the show with this recipe. Apparently she went to one of Donald Trump’s hotels and fell in love with this burger. My husband and I tried them this weekend and while they do take some time to make, they were definitely worth it!!

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup scallion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 3 granny smith apples, peeled and diced
• 1/8 cup canola oil
• 4 lbs ground turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Tabasco chipotle pepper sauce
• 1 lemon, juice and zest of, grated
• 1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Major Grey chutney, pureed
Directions
1. Sauté the scallions, celery and apples in the canola oil until tender. Let cool.
    2. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Add sautéed items and the remaining ingredients. Shape into eight 8-ounce burgers. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
    3. Season the turkey burgers with salt and pepper. Place on a preheated, lightly oiled grill. Grill each side for 7 minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Fresh Fruit Dip

This will probably be one of the easiest recipes I will post to my blog, however it’s also one of my absolute favorites. It only has 2 ingredients!! I also think this is a perfect July 4th recipe. It’s delicious with all kinds of fruit but I think strawberries taste the best with it. You probably don’t need to even write it down…

1 jar of Jett Puffed Marshmallow Crème
1 package of Cream Cheese (fat free and light won’t work)

Directions:
Mix together until creamy (no lumps) and then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cantaloupe, water melon, blue berries and pineapple are good fruits to try with it too.

Enjoy and Happy 4th!!!!!

I spent this past weekend in Savannah so I thought it was only fitting that I would feature another Paula Deen recipe. By the way, if you have not been to Savannah, (home of Paula Deen) I would highly recommend it. It’s about a 5 and half hour drive from Greenville and the scenery, history, food and architecture is some of the best on the East Coast. It’s a great weekend getaway. 

As for the corn salad, my Aunt Sue is the one who introduced me to this recipe and while the ingredients may sound a little strange it’s one of my favorite side dishes. The recipe is served cold and I think it’s such a delicious and refreshing side to go along with any other picnic type food (perfect for summer). Just like my other favorite recipes I have shared, this too, is very easy to make and can serve a lot of people if need be.

Ingredients
• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 (10 1/2 ounce) bag crushed Fritos chili cheese corn chips (barbeque corn chips work as well)

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients (except chips) into serving dish and refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving put a layer of Frito’s on top. Don’t put the chips on too early because you don’t want them to get soggy=0)