Crack dip on Italian toast
Hosting an engagement party, shower, bachelorette party, or adult birthday shindig? Here are some of my favorite stand by recipes that will impress, even if your kitchen is a foreign territory to you.
These are all "no recipe recipes" that are so easy to make and adjust to your taste. Have fun and play around with them.
"Crack Dip" (This is a HUGE family favorite that is so good you get addicted to it like crack)
Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
Soft Butter or Sour Cream
Craisins
Walnuts
Pesto (1- 1 1/2 Tbs per pack of cream cheese - Progresso is the best and cheapest around)
Mix cream cheese with a dab of butter or sour cream to make the cream cheese a bit more spreadable. Line a dish or Tupperware container with plastic wrap. Place some of the craisins and walnuts in the bottom of dish to make a thin layer, Mix the pesto with the cream cheese and the rest of the craisins and walnuts. Fill the dish with the mixture, cover and refrigerate for later, or flip out onto a dish right away, peel away the plastic wrap and serve with crackers.
Pear and Bleu Cheese Pizza
Pizza Dough or Naan bread (I really like the whole wheat dough from Trader Joe's)
Pears
Bleu Cheese (you can sub goat cheese or any other strong cheese you like)
Prosciutto (Crispy Bacon will also do the trick if you can't get Prosciutto)
Olive Oil
Corn Meal
Place a pizza stone in your oven ($10 at Walmart if you don't own one -- they are a great investment) and preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Cut up the prosciutto and crisp it up in a frying pan. Roll out dough on a floured surface. When the oven is preheated take out the pizza stone. Coat stone with corn meal or flour. Carefully place dough or pre-made naan on stone. Top with a little olive oil, bleu cheese, crisped prosciutto, and thinly sliced pear. Pop pizza stone back into your oven on the top shelf, turn off the oven and turn on the broiler to low. (This will allow the hot stone to cook your crust while the broiler will give you the brick oven look and taste by cooking the top very fast) Cook for 5-9 min (depending on the density of your crust) until your pizza is bubbly and golden brown.
Cut into slices for a main dish or smaller pieces as an appetizer.
Curry Chicken Salad
Poached Chicken Breasts
Plain Greek Yogurt (Not Vanilla)
Mayo
Curry Powder
Craisins (Sub fresh grape halves if you want)
Walnuts
Salt and Pepper
Poach chicken breasts, allow to cool, and cut into small cubes. Add yogurt and a little bit of mayo to coat. Season with curry powder, salt, and pepper to taste. (Add curry powder a little at a time until it is rich in color and taste -you might need more than you think). Mix in craisins and chopped walnuts.
Serve with crackers, pita, or in finger rolls.
Citrus trifle made with a lemon box cake, oranges, mango, and peach yogurt.
Trifle
Angel Food Cake (or cake of your choice)
Seasonal Fruit
Cool Whip Light
Yogurt (a flavor that will go well with your fruit)
Pull cake apart into small pieces with your fingers. Slice up fruit (Put a small amount aside for decoration). Fold yogurt into 2/3 of the cool whip. Repeatedly layer the the cake, fruit, and yogurt mixture in a trifle bowl, glass dish, or individual clear cups until you run out of ingredients. Finish off the dish with the remaining cool whip and pieces of fruit.
This trifle is great as a light dessert or a dish for a brunch.
*A special thanks to my husband Michael for helping with quality control and dishes as
I photographed these recipes for you.
