Teacher Mom Recipe Ideas

Black Bean Salsa Dip

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Black Bean Salsa Dip

If you have been following The Room Mom for any length of time, you know I love party dips. If you are a loyal fan, you also know that I do not really care about sporting events; I only care about the tailgate style food you get to serve with a sporting event. I am thinking this Black Bean Salsa Dip will be on the menu for Super Bowl viewing this year. This is one of easiest dip recipes I have. What might be on your Super Bowl menu? I am looking for a really good chili recipe, and I am in the mood to try something new.

Ingredients

  • 2 (16-oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 (11-oz) cans white shoepeg corn, drained (or regular yellow corn)
  • 2 (4-oz) cans chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 c.  pickled jalapeno nacho slices, drained and chopped
  • 1 small bunch cilantro, minced
  • 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • pepper to taste

Directions

  • Combine the beans, corn, green chiles, bell pepper, jalapenos, and cilantro in a bowl and mix well.
  • Whisk the vinegar, oil, and pepper in a bowl until blended.  Add to the bean mixture gradually and gently stir to coat.
  • Chill, covered, for 2+ hours.  Serve with tortilla chips, Frito’s, or as a side salad.

black bean salsa sip close

Hot Artichoke Dip

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hot artichoke dip

I have an exciting new acquisition for my cookbook collection— The Pioneer Woman Cooks. She has a hot artichoke dip recipe that is similar to one my family has always made. There were some interesting improvements in her recipe (cream cheese), so I took my old family recipe and adapted it a little based on the Pioneer Woman’s recipe. The results were delicious and meal worthy. In my house, party dips can be served as complete meals (especially during the holidays). This is what we ate for dinner on New Year’s Eve. I know you are probably worried that the nutritional value in my New Year’s Eve dinner was pretty poor. Don’t worry, I made potato skins with bacon and melted cheddar too!

hot artichoke dip bite

Ingredients

  • Two 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained
  • One 8-oz block cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 c. real mayonnaise
  • 1 c. grated Parmesan cheese (or more), divided
  • 1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese (or more)
  • Tabasco (to taste– I use about 10 dashes)
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Add one can of drained artichoke hearts, cream cheese, and mayonnaise to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture 6 or 7 times.
  • Mix in 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese (or a handful), 1/2 c. Swiss cheese (or more), Tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • Roughly chop the other can of artichoke hearts into bite sized pieces. Add to the artichoke mixture and stir together gently.
  • Pour the mixture into an oven safe dish about the size of a pie dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes until browned slightly and bubbly.
  • Serve hot with blue corn tortilla chips or slices of party rye bread.

hot artichoke dip eaten

Breakfast Cups

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breakfast cups 2

My holiday houseguests arrived Thursday night (about 5 hours after school let out for Christmas break). I did not make it to the grocery store before they arrived, so I offered a few leftover rosemary nuts and some slices of cranberry bread that I received as a teacher gift for breakfast Friday morning. We did not even have milk for coffee– my husband had to run out to the gas station.

breakfast cup close up

This morning, I actually had breakfast food for my guests after a major trip to the grocery store (courtesy of my husband– I almost considered that a Christmas gift). I served up some Breakfast Cups to the group, and people were not disappointed. I need another quick prep meal for tomorrow morning. Can anybody help a hostess?

breakfast cup filling

Ingredients

  • 1- 10 oz. Can Ro-Tel tomatoes (I use mild version)
  • ½ c. mayo
  • 1 c. grated cheddar and Monterey Jack (or just cheddar)
  • 1 t. dried basil
  • 8-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • ½ small onion chopped
  • 1-2 cans 10 oz. refrigerated flaky layered biscuits (I use Pillsbury Grands Original Flaky Layer Biscuits)

separating biscuits

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a mixing bowl, stir together tomatoes, mayo, cheese, basil, bacon, and onion.
  • Separate each biscuit into 3 layers.
  • Press each layer into a lightly greased mini muffin tin and fill with tomato mixture.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

unbaked breakfast cups

Cocoa Kit 2.0

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interior cocoa kit

A few weeks ago, I shared a cocoa kit my children and I are giving to the teachers this year. Originally, I included some snickerdoodle cookies along with the cocoa fixings. Well, we ate all of the snickerdoodles before I could finish assembling the boxes, so I made a new batch of cookies this weekend. We used one of my mom’s recipes for Christmas Cookies (yes, that is the name– click for the recipe). They are a rolled cookie. We pulled out all of my mini cookie cutters, so the finished product looks like a little bag of animal crackers. They are perfect for the cocoa kits. I am re-posting the assembly instructions below along with new pictures.

After the events on Friday in Connecticut, I definitely want to let my children’s teachers know they are loved!

The Cocoa Mix: Click here for the Cocoa Mix Recipe I used. I put about two servings of cocoa mix in the plastic bag that went into the box. Alternately, you could simply buy pre-made cocoa mix.

cocoa stirrers with peppermint

The Chocolate Stirrers: I originally saw these candy spoons on Pinterest. I adapted the idea to make cocoa stirrers. Go to the Cocoa Mix Recipe for directions about how to make the chocolate filling for the spoons. After the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and let cool slightly (5 min?). While the chocolate cools, rest plastic spoons on the handles of wooden spoons (or another kitchen item) to hold the spoons level. Place a gallon Ziploc bag in a large measuring cup and fold the top of the bag over the edges of the measuring cup. Pour chocolate into the Ziploc. Pull the Ziploc bag out of the measuring cup and hold it like a pastry bag. With scissors, snip off a very tiny piece of one corner and fill spoons with the chocolate. Hold your finger like a stopper over the opening of the bag as you move from spoon to spoon. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on the chocolate and let set.

wrapped cocoa stirrer

The Other Contents: I added mini marshmallows and about a dozen of the new little cookies. I have a big selection of holiday mini cookie cutters, and my kids cut out their favorite shapes (Christmas trees, mittens, candy canes, angels, Swedish horse…).

christmas cooki animal crackers

The Packaging: I need to buy stock in Avery labels and clear gift bags. I own almost every size possible. I wrapped the bowl of the candy spoon in a 3×4 inch clear bag and tied with raffia ribbon. I used my trusted clear bead bags for the cocoa mix, cookies, and marshmallows and printed small labels for each item. The boxes are Wilton Treat Boxes I purchased at Michael’s.

christmas cookies and cocoa kit

The Gift Tag: I printed a message and directions for making a mug of cocoa on cardstock and tied it to the top of the box. My kids signed their name at the bottom of the tag.

Nuts for Christmas (and I don’t mean crazy)

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rosemary mixed nuts

It is only December 2, and I already feel like a crazy person. Every year, I decide to make all kinds of Martha Stewart-ish holiday treats (cocoa kits, reindeer food bags, gingerbread houses…) and then get testy with everyone in my house because they interrupt my projects when they want something– like dinner. Even though I had about 6 loads of laundry to do, several sets of school papers to grade, and various other weekend chores, I chose to mix up a batch of Buttered Nuts with Rosemary and Orange, print cutesy labels, and bag them using one of the clear gift bags I have in my vast collection.

This morning’s project is super fast and will be going to some of my husband’s co-workers or given as a thank you sirsee to the hosts at the (few) holiday parties we are attending if I run out of cocoa kits.

rosemary and orange mixed nuts

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lightly salted roasted mixed nuts can (an 11.5 oz can)
  • 1 T. unsalted butter
  • 2 T. sugar
  • 1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 T. thinly sliced orange zest

Directions

  • Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the nuts, sugar, rosemary, and zest. Cook, tossing, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.  Let cool on a baking sheet.

NOTE: Recipe can be doubled easily. I added an additional 1/2 c. of pecan halves and 1/2 c. of plain almonds and a few extra mixed nuts, then doubled the seasonings and butter.