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I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Starters

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

Welcome to the Surprise Virtual Baby Shower for Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook!!!!!

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Ultimate Tatchos

Ultimate Tatchos

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

After a few weeks off from posting my usual Friday Sprint Cup Snacks posts (thanks broken computer!!!!) I’m back with one kick ass recipe that will have you running to the store for the goodies to make this dish this weekend!!

This weekend the boys (and Danica) are racing at Texas Motor Speedway. I figured that I had to make something that would warm up the house (it’s def cold in Boston!!) and something that had a bit of a kick to it! I thinking about making a big huge batch of chili but I started to think about snack food, which made me think about a plate of piled high nachos. (pregnant much?!?) And then I was lamenting one day about how the cafe in my office building has stopped serving tots at breakfast (what the hell?!?). That made me think about combing tater tots and all the best toppings on nachos to make a big pile of these…

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Ultimate Tatchos!!

I just love how the tater tots act as the perfect vehicle for all the toppings. Plus the tater tots change things up from the typical crunchy chip.

This is so great to make because you can easily adjust the size of the batch you make for the amount of people you are serving. I highly suggest that you always make more than what you expect to need since everyone will love to snack on the cheesy, spicy tots.

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We (Price) are finishing up painting the baby’s room this weekend. Then we are going to  assemble the crib so we can get to decorating like crazy since we only have 3 weeks to go. I can’t wait to get in there and reorganize the room and hang up pictures we have picked out.  I’m sure we’ll be hungry after all that work, so I’m sure I’ll be whipping up again batch of these Ultimate Tatchos!

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Ultimate Tatchos

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of tater tots
  • 1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and reheated
  • 1/2 cup salsa (I used the restaurant style salsa from Archer Farms)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • sliced pickled jalapenos
  • sliced black olives

Process

  1. Cook the tater tots according to the directions on the packaging. (You want them to be a bit crisp so you might want to add a few minutes actually)
  2. In an oven safe serving dish, layer half of the tater tots, beans, and cheese. Place under the broiler for a minute or so in order to melt the cheese.
  3. Add the rest of the tater tots and top off with the remaining beans and cheese. Again, place under the broiler for a minute or so in order to melt the cheese.
  4. Top off with the salsa, sour cream, avocado, jalapenos, and olives.

Homemade Cheez-It’s

Homemade Cheez-Its

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

Let’s just take a minute to reflect on what a week it has been for NASCAR. First, Kasey Kahne won the Pocono Race!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!! We were sooo excited for that win. Helps him in the Sprint Cup Standings to secure a spot in the Championship. Unfortunately, another driver is surely losing his spot in the Championship standings because of an accident. Tony Stewart was in a Sprint Car accident on Monday night that has resulted in him breaking his tibia and fibula in his right leg.  Already he has had 2 surgeries to repair the breaks, including a surgery in which they put a rod in his leg. I hope he has a quick recovery and can get back to racing soon.

Anyway, when I first started the Sprint Cup Snacks series I had planned on making wine slushies for this weekend’s race at Watkin’s Glen. The Finger Lakes Region of New York is becoming known for their fantastic wines and I have always wanted to have a wine slushy, which they serve up at the New York State Fair.

But guess what… if I can’t have a wine slushy now, you can’t have a wine slushy now!!!

So on to Plan B, which was to make Homemade Cheez-It’s because this race is the “Cheez-It 355 at The Glen”. Oh man, Plan B was such a good idea!!

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These Homemade Cheez-It’s are just killer. Flaky, crunchy, cheesy, salty, crackers that you can’t resist. Sure you can just buy a box of Cheez-It’s but you’ll want to give these a try just to prove to yourself that 5 ingredients (plus some seasonings) quickly turn into pop in your month tasty crackers. Plus as they puff up in the oven you get teased with the wonderful cheesy smell drawing you in.

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 The dough can easily be made in a food processor or in a stand mixer. The key thing is to keep the dough pretty cool so it is easy to work with. I chilled it every chance I got to make rolling it out easier, cutting easier, and then transferring easier. Get the picture? There are so many melty things (cheese, butter, and shortening) that is is very malleable but very tacky. Since you don’t flour your working surface it is really important to use the silpat/ parchment. Don’t skip that part! I only give these warnings to make the process super easy and fun… and ultimately tasty!

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Last year we loved watching the race at The Glen from our seats behind Kasey’s pit on Pit Road (!!) so I’ll miss going there this year but at least I have these homemade Cheez-It’s to enjoy while watching the race on Sunday.

Homemade Cheez-Its_00

Homemade Cheez-It’s

Makes 7 dozen crackers

Ingredients

  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 Tablespoons ice water
  • Coarse salt for sprinkling

Process

  1.  Combine the cheese, butter, shortening, and salt in the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or into a food processor fitted with a dough attachment. The mixture will be crumbly.
  2. Slowly add the flour mixing to combine. Slowly add the ice water. You may add a few more drops of water to help it come together but be careful not to add too much as you don’t want a wet dough.
  3. Divide the dough into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 375⁰F.
  5. Cover your work surface with a silicone mat or a piece of parchment paper. Roll each disc to be a 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut into 1 inch squares. Use a toothpick to punch a hole into the center of each square. Sprinkle the crackers with salt prior to transferring to a baking sheet. (If you have difficulty separating and transferring the crackers onto the baking sheet, place the mat back into the refrigerator for 10 minutes)
  6. Bake for 9-13 minutes or until puffed and just browning around the edges. Just be careful not to let them get too dark, it can happen quickly.
  7. Move crackers to a cooling rack.

Slightly adpated from In Katrina’s Kitchen

Party Ham and Cheese Sliders

Ham and Cheese Sliders – The classic combination of ham and Swiss cheese baked warm and melty, topped with a tangy mustard poppy seed sauce.

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

Post Originally from 4/5/13, Pictures updated 2/3/19

Have you ever had a recipe stick with you after reading about it? I mean, like stick with you for years just waiting for you to make them? I’ve had that with these Ham and Cheese Sliders. I saw them on Emily Frame’s (old) blog way back in February of 2010.

For 3 years, I’ve thought about making them. They looked so good that I have been thinking about them since then. I kept telling myself I would make them, but just finally got around to it. Better late than never. 

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Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers- SRC

Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers

It is Secret Recipe Club time!!!

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This month I was giving the blog by  fellow native New Englander Jess. She, and husband Nick, are living in Mississippi as Nick is in the air force. Jess has the blog called Flying on Jess Fuel where she documents what she makes for the 2 of them. They met through a friend at a Mexican restaurant, where she impressed him with her jalapeno eating skills. Ohh spice! I knew I would love this blog.

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I browsed her recipes and had several in mind but I picked one that featured jalapenos! I decided to make the Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers because it would be fun to make for the upcoming Superbowl and I love them as much as Jess. They are definitely different than a typical jalapeno popper but the change up is so much fun. There are much lighter as they are not packed full of cream cheese and cheese but the cornbread gets nicely fluffy and the crunchy cheesy top is a nice finishing touch. I only made a few simple changes along the way by adding some paprika to the corn bread and then broiling at the end to get the cheese extra brown and crunchy.

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I hope that you’ll add these to your Superbowl menu. We are relaxing at home this year and I can’t wait to kick back with chips and something spicy to enjoy with a cold beer!

Jalapeno Cornbread Poppers

Makes 24 poppers

Ingredients

  • 12 medium large fresh jalapenos
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
  • 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen or canned)

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil.
  2. Slice each jalapeno down the center and remove seeds and ribs.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, paprika, oil, milk, corn and cheese until just mixed.
  4. Fill each jalapeno half with the cornbread batter. Sprinkle them all with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar.
  5. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cornbread is firm and cooked through.
  6. Broil the cheesy top until golden brown.

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Secret Recipe Club

Check out the rest of the reveal day posts!

Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts.

Sweet and Spicy Wings

sweet and spicy wings

Last year I REALLY cared about the Superbowl as the Giants were playing the Patriots again. Being a Giants fan in Patriots territory is tricky but I had high hopes that the Giants would be able to beat the Patriots again, even with Patriots’ favored to win. Even if the Giants lost it would not have been that that horrible as the Giants had beat them in 2008, all the while ripping away their chance of a perfect season. But my fierce G-men won 21-17 so I did my happy danced that Sunday night and then called out of work Tuesday to attend the parade with Price and my brother. So awesome!!!

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With my Giants not playing this year (boo-hoo!!) I don’t care about the Superbowl that much this year I still look forward to the game, the event, and the food. So with the Superbowl is less than 2 weeks away (which also means that we get our puppy in less than 2 weeks… but that is another story) I am starting to plan for what we will be enjoying during the game. There are so many options… nachos, chips and dip, quesadillas, chili, subway sandwiches, and much much more!

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When I received my Musselman’s Apple Butter Packaged I flipped through the recipe cards and I immediately knew I had to make the Sweet and Spicy Wings. I am not a big fan of wings (just too much work!), BUT my boyfriend is. So this got me try to try something new and make him something that he would love. He really enjoyed the sweet and spicy flavor as it was not the typical buffalo wing. I made myself some chicken tenders and I loved them. I cooked them for half the time so when I went to flip the wings at the 30 minute mark I added the chicken tenders and then gave them a quick flip after they had been in their for 15 minutes. Everything was so quick and easy to assemble, however it’s not a last minute dish as it takes some time to marinate, but that planning is so worth it!!

Sweet and Spicy Wings

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter
  • 1/2 c hot sauce
  • 1/2 c ketchup
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • 2 pounds uncooked chicken wings (drumettes and wingettes) or tenders
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted

Process

  1. Combine the apple butter, hot sauce, ketchup, and celery salt in a medium bowl.
  2. Reserve 3/4 cup of the sauce,  cover and refrigerate.
  3. Marinate the wings by coating them with the sauce and covering the bowl. Or coat the with the sauce in a plastic zip storage bag. Refrigerate 2 hours to overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking pan (about 10×13-inch) with foil for easy clean up. Place the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake the wings for 30 minutes then flip and baste with the remaining marinade. Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until wings are fork-tender.
  5. While baking the wings, warm the ¾ cup of reserved sauce with the melted butter and serve as a dipping sauce with wings.

Options: Substitute fresh chicken tenders for the wings- depending on the size of pieces, reduce the cooking time to 30-35 minutes total. Broil or grill instead of baking

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Musselmans Apple Butter_Giveaway

And now the good stuff… the GIVEAWAY!

You can win a Musselman’s package including a jar of apple butter, a and recipe cards.

To Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you are looking to enjoy during the Superbowl.

Extra Entries!!! 

  1. Tweet: “I want to win @Musselmansapple Apple Butter Package including a serving bowl from @iamahoneybee http://wp.me/pzEAP-33Q #AppleButterRecipes“
  2. Follow @Musselmanapple’s on twitter to stay in touch with them.
  3. Like the Musselman’s Facebook page and to stay connected.

Come back and leave a comment each time to get 3 extra entries

Contest Ends Sunday, January 27th at Midnight EST. Good luck but if you don’t win be sure to go to your jam/jelly aisle at your local grocery store and pick up a jar of Musselman’s Apple Butter!

Bacon, Mushroom, Onion, and Cheese Stuffed Bread

It’s been a year since I’ve started to participate in Secret Recipe Club and I have really enjoyed this past year.It’s been so much fun getting to interact with other bloggers and to make some really fun recipes. I can’t wait for the next year with this great group!

 

 

This month I had Anne’s blog called Anne Jisca’s Healthy Pursuits. Wouldn’t you know I think the pick the 1 indulgent thing on the blog. She has great soups, breads, so many other great fresh homemade recipes on her blog. Of course I pick one with bacon and cheese. It’s just that once I saw her Bacon Cheese Stuffed Bread I knew I needed to have it. It would just work out perfectly to enjoy on a leisurely Sunday with some NASCAR and Football on. Plus, some Frankenstorm updates watching didn’t hurt! Oh, Hurricane Sandy, please be nice!

 

 

I made some changes to the original recipe in that I don’t have bacon bits at home so I used regular bacon and then I added mushroom and onion to the mix. I just figured adding some mushroom and onion would add to the overall flavor. Plus knowing it would basically be lunch it should have a veggie in there. ha! This was really simple to prepare and was so good. I highly suggest making this or a few different kinds, maybe with sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, or some sauteed chopped broccoli. It’s the perfect game day treat!

Bacon, Mushroom, Onion, and Cheese Stuffed Bread

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 boule loaf of bread (8oz)
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 8 oz o mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 small white onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 pinch red pepper flake
  • 2 oz of freshly grated cheese, such as cheddar or Gruyere

Process

  1. Prepare the bread but cutting a cross hatch in the loaf almost all the way through. Place the bread onto a baking sheet lined with a large piece of tin foil.
  2. Cut the bacon into small pieces. In a medium sized skillet, cook on medium low until completely cooked. Drain on a paper towel. Discard all but 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.
  3. Over medium heat, cook the mushrooms and onion in the same skillet with the bacon drippings as well as the butter. season with red pepper flake, salt and pepper. Once the mushroom and onion are cooked down add the bacon back into the skillet.
  4. Add the bacon, mushroom, and onion mixture into the crevices of the bread. Freshly grate the cheese over the entire bread. Gently, wrap the foil over the bread to tent it over the cheese.
  5. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake the bread for 15 minutes. Open the foil to expose the top and broil for 1-2 minutes to get a golden brown top.

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Secret Recipe Club

Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts:

September: Spiced Black Bean, Grilled Avocado, and Goat Cheese Tacos

August: Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles

July: Tropical Pork Pineapple Kebabs

June: Cheesy Garlic Knots

May: Berry Brownie Torte

April: Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

March: Sauteed Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds

February: Fried Pickles

Jan: No SRC postings

December: Shrimp Sriracha Stir Fry

November: Vegetable Enchiladas

October: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Check out the rest of the reveal day posts!

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