Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year's Eve!

I have never been a huge New Year's Eve party person, but I do enjoy a small get together with friends and family, which is exactly what we are hosting at our house tonight. I've been busy all morning cooking and getting food ready, which I actually love to do. I'm not exactly your every day Martha Stewart, but I love to do stuff like this.

On the menu ...
*Sliders
*Buffalo wings
*Pizza dippers
*Taco dip
*Fruit salsa and cinnamon chips
*Chocolate chunk cookies

Recipes ...
Sliders














My ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 pounds ground sirloin
20 round dill pickle slices
20 slices (2-inch square) white cheese, any type
20 soft dinner rolls, split and toasted
20 small lettuce leaves, any type, for serving
Condiments, such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard, for serving

My directions:
1) Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small pan and season with salt and pepper.
2) Form 20 patties using 2 tablespoons ground sirloin or more if you have rolls that are a little bigger like me for each. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and coat patties with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Press a pickle slice into each patty (refrigerate for up to 2 hours).

3) Preheat broiler. Season patties with salt and pepper. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes. Top burgers with cheese during final 30 seconds.
4) Pace 1 burger on bottom half of each roll. Sandwich with top half of roll, and serve with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard.

Buffalo Wings



Buy pre-cooked, breaded buffalo wings. Heat them in the oven and toss in buffalo sauce from BW3. Serve with celery and blue cheese.

Pizza Dippers


Cook oven rising pepperoni pizza and slice into strips. Dip in ranch dressing and enjoy!

Taco Dip

This is my own recipe, but people seem to love it. So ... if it sounds weird, just know it tastes great. LOL.

Ingredients:
*1 lb. ground beef
*Cream cheese
*Sour cream
*Milk
*Taco Bell taco seasoning (yes, it has to be Taco Bell brand ... LOL)
*Shredded lettuce
*Shredded mexican cheese
*Tostitos Scoops

Mix some cream cheese, sour cream, tiny bit of milk and taco seasoning in bowl. For a regular size platter, you will not need to use the whole thing of cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning ... just use your judgment as to how much to add. I typically use more sour cream than cream cheese. Spread your mixture on a platter.

Brown ground beef and lay it on top of the sour cream mixture. Top with lettuce and shredded cheese. Serve with Tostitos Scoops for a scrumptous appetizer.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips












This is so delicious ... it tastes like fruit pie!

Ingredients:
*2 kiwis, peeled and diced
*2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
*8 ounces raspberries
*1 pound strawberries
*2 tablespoons white sugar
*1 tablespoon brown sugar
*3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor
*10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
*butter flavored cooking spray
*2 cups cinnamon sugar

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3)
Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4)
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies {Gotta have some chocolate!}

Just follow the recipe on the Nestle Chocolate Chunks bag, however instead of putting in a full cup of butter, I use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening. They are mighty delicious and everyone loves them!

8 comments:

  1. OH my that sounds wonderful. But you know...I'm not a huge New Years Eve Fan either. I'm alone this year. My boys are at thier fathers (first year ever)...so it's just me and my daughter of 17mo. I feel lonely, but know that it is NO BIG DEAL!

    I hope you celebrate well for Nika's first New Years at home.

    Kisses to the kids from me!

    Rachel

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  2. that all sounds wonderful! have a great time tonight!

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  3. You are SO good! We are just ordering pizza and opening a bag of salad for our get together. Looks so yummy! Have fun!

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  4. How long does it take to get to your house from Madison? That all sounds wonderful! Have a great New Years!

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  5. I lOVE New Year's Eve!!! It's my favorite night of the year! But, we don't do the party scene. We (brother's family, parents, us) go to a new year's eve glow bowling party from 7 - 9pm. Then come back to our house for food. On the menu this year . . . seafood nachos, hot beef dip/beef dip nachos, swiss spinach dip, hot dogs, chocolate mocha milkshake punch and some salty snacks. Then at midnight, we have lots of noise makers and confetti poppers!! Fun, fun, fun!!!

    Have a great evening, Bethany and family!!!! :)

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  6. ok I thought I did good with homemade pizza but you outdid me...Have a great night. Love you guys wish we could be there!!

    Tal

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  7. Ooh, sounds good! Makes my dinner of fried eggs on toast with steamed asparagus (hey, what can I say? I need a green!) look pretty sad. Who am I kidding--it was pretty sad. LOL

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