Baked Biscuit Wreath Dip & Apple Pie

For Thanksgiving I wanted to make an appetizer and came across this yummy dip from Delish – You can find the recipe here >> http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a45181/baked-biscuit-wreath-dip-recipe/

 

It was  flavorful & cheesy. The biscuits were cooked perfectly and the dip was bubbly. I will definitely be making this again. I mean you can’t go wrong with bread & cheese!! Am I right?

•  1 can refrigerated biscuits
• Olive oil, for brushing biscuits
• 1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. crumbled Parmesan
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella
• 1 c. ricotta
• 3/4 c. frozen spinach, defrosted and chopped
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Halve biscuits and flatten each one out, then roll into a ball and place in an oven-proof skillet seam side down. Arrange in a ring around the skillet. Brush biscuits with olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan.
2. In a large bowl, combine mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and salt and mix until combined.
3. Spoon dip into center of skillet and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
4. Bake until warmed through, bubbly, and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Apple Pie

( I cheat a little by not making crust )

• make your own crust/ or refrigerated/ frozen pie crust.
• 1/3-1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups of thinly sliced apple. I like using granny smith. ( 6-8 apples)
• 2 tablespoons of butter

 

• Heat oven to 425
• Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt in a bowl.
• Stir in apples until coated
• Dump the mixture into the pie crust
• Distribute butter on top in small pieces
• Use the extra pie crust to apply on top. You can do a design like me or just apply it on top and cut slits  ( cut off additional crust on edges) Whatever your heart desires.
• Cover edges with aluminum foil. ( take off the last 10-15minutes)
• Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Did you make any new dishes this year?

Hearty Taco Soup with chicken sausage

One of my favorite meals is taco soup.
Its hearty, filling, yummy, easy to make, cooks quickly, and it’s budget friendly.

I usually have it meatless but sometimes add diced chicken or a can of chicken.
Well within the past month I received a coupon during my checkout at Shoprite for $1.25 off fully cooked chicken sausage. I never noticed it before , probably because its where the precooked, fully cooked, sliced deli meats are. I mostly just buy chicken or ground chicken/turkey so don’t really venture too much into the other meat sections.

Well I checked it out and it was on sale. So with the coupon it was on $1.73 ( originally $3.49)

I was already planning on making taco soup and thought the 3 cheese Italian style with cheese, red bells peppers, & garlic would be good in the soup. The other flavors available are: Cajun , Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese, Apple & the 3 cheese Italian style.

What you need for the soup:

Chicken broth
Diced tomatoes
black beans, rinsed & drained
kidney beans or pinto beans, rinsed & drained
corn , drained
Taco seasoning
Avocado, diced
*Johnsonville Chicken Sausage ( keep it meatless or add any meat you’d like, already cooked)

Why is this my favorite? You just open the cans, drain & rinse the beans. The just pour it in a pot and cook until heated through. You can use as much or little broth as you want. I usually pour right above the beans & corn. You can also use vegetable broth or even water. Mix in taco seasoning and cook on medium heat.

I chopped up the chicken sausage into slices.

Added them to the pot. Waited until it started to boil. Turned off.

Diced up avocado.

Put soup in bowl, add diced avocado.
I sometimes add broken tortilla chip pieces for a crunch.

Enjoy!

The chicken sausage made the soup a little more hearty & filling, as well as added a little extra flavor.
I would buy Johnsonville Chicken Sausage again, next I want to try the apple chicken sausage tastes. I would also use the 3 cheese Italian style in pasta dishes. Yum!

Do you make taco soup? What is your go to Winter meal?