Category: Dips and Appetizers

As you can tell from many of my recipes that I share, my family loves sweets and we also love spicy! We love Mexican food, Cajun food, or anything with a kick!

We have had an abundance of peppers the last couple of weeks and I have really enjoyed using them.  They’re colorful, spicy and liven up many recipes! 

Yesterday I decided to make some jalapeno poppers. This recipe is always a hit at our house as well as being an excellent choice to take to gatherings and parties!  This can be changed up with various meats and cheeses, but this time I used breakfast sausage and a triple cheddar cheese blend. In the past I have used pepper jack cheese and I have even used leftover BBQ for the meat!  Delicious!

I also use a variety of peppers. This batch has jalapenos, poblanos and banana peppers because I had these on hand!  For people that prefer less spice, bell peppers are great this way too! 

First I sat out cream cheese to soften. I then rinsed the peppers, capped them, cut them in half lengthwise, and scraped out the cores. 

While I was working on the peppers, I had breakfast sausage browning in my copper skillet! (I love that this thing is dishwasher safe!)

I then drained the cooked sausage and used my stand mixer to combine the cream cheese, cheddar, and sausage. 

I stuffed each pepper half with the meat and cheese mixture, and then laid bacon slices over the top. Some people wrap the peppers, but we prefer them this way. It’s easier to prepare and the bacon cooks up crispier!

This go round, I cooked these in the oven on 375 for about 30-35 minutes. I just keep an eye on them and know they’re ready when the bacon is crispy!  We have also cooked these on the smoker or in the air fryer! The smoker is my favorite method because of the extra flavor it adds! 

Ingredients:

• Peppers – any variety 
• Bacon slices (I cut into 1/4’s)
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 pound ground sausage 
• 8 ounces shredded cheese 
  

What is your favorite appetizer recipe? Comment below and share!

In many of my posts, I’m sure you’ll see me talk about my love of Mexican food, so here is one of the staples in my house that adds delicious flare to all of our favorite Mexican dishes!

It’s my momma’s salsa! 

This is one recipe I know by heart and can make in my sleep. Anytime we are invited to a family gathering or cookout, I’m asked to bring salsa!

This recipe can be edited to make it spicier or milder, based on your taste.  If you like your salsa with a spicy kick, use a fresh jalapeño and leave some or all of the seeds from your jalapeño in the mix. If you prefer a milder salsa, you can use a fresh jalapeño but omit the seeds. 

If you’re using canned tomatoes, you can use a can of mild diced tomato and green chili and not use a fresh pepper. 

This recipe is really versatile and can be made with either canned tomatoes or fresh, depending on what you have on hand.  When I made the salsa for our taco bar this weekend, I didn’t have any fresh tomatoes so I used canned tomatoes with green chilis and it turned out wonderfully!

(If you’re using fresh tomatoes, I do recommend peeling them first for a smoother consistency. I have a super easy method I will share in a future post.)

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until the consistency you like! For super chunky salsa, it only takes a few pulses. For picky eaters like my crew, I blend until totally smooth!

I love to make this recipe in bulk and can it and have on hand anytime we like! 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilis 
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes with juice 
• 2 Tbsp minced dried onion  

OR

• 3-4 fresh peeled tomatoes 
• 1/2 – 1 small fresh jalapeño, depending on how spicy you’d like it 
• 3 Tbsp of fresh chopped onion

AND

• 1 Tbsp cilantro or more to taste (I prefer fresh)
• 1 Tbsp whole cumin seed 
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp of garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• Good squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste