appetizers

Twice-Baked Potatoes Two Ways

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mini twiced bake potatoes

I love twice baked potatoes all ways, but I am posting recipes for two of my favorite versions. The casserole is great for pot lucks, tailgating, and casual parties. The mini twice-baked potatoes are a great appetizer, look fancy, but have that comfort food factor, and… are mini. As some of my readers know, I live for mini. Unfortunately, there is no way around baking the potatoes twice, so both recipes require time. It is worth the wait, though!

twice baked potato casserole

Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients

  • 8 medium-size baking potatoes (~4 lbs), baked and cooled
  • 2 c. (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
  • 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ c. milk
  • ½ c. butter, melted
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 T. chopped fresh chives
  • 1 ½ t. salt
  • ½ t. pepper
  • 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions

  • Scoop pulp out of potatoes into a large bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher (discard the empty skins).  Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese, sour cream, and the next 7 ingredients.  Spoon into a lightly greased 13×9-in. baking dish.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and bacon.  Can garnish with additional chives too if desired.

twice-baked new potatoes

Twice-Baked New Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 12 new potatoes, scrubbed clean
  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 4 oz. sour cream, softened
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese or white cheddar
  • 1 T. minced chives
  • 1 garlic clove, finely minced
  • 6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste

scooping potatoes

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until tender, and the skin is slightly crisp. If your new potatoes are on the large size, you will need longer roasting time.
  • Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. Halve the potatoes. Use a small scoop (I like my little gelato scooper) and remove the insides leaving a little margin of potato. Put the scooped out part of the potato in a mixing bowl.
  • Add cream cheese, sour cream, grated cheese, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper to the potato pulp. Mash until the potato mixture is smooth. Taste and add salt as needed.
  • Scoop potato mixture back into the shell (gelato scooper works well for this too). Sprinkle bacon bits on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top.

twice baked potatoes pre baked

Buffalo Chicken Dip

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buffalo chicken dip

It has taken me several days to write about the final party dip decision for our dip-for-dinner meal while watching the Super Bowl. After considering all of my dip options for Super Bowl Sunday, I opted for a new RoomMom recipe. Several years ago, I ate something like this at a friend’s house. She picked it up in the pre-made section of her grocery store. Then, I started seeing a variety of Buffalo Chicken Dip recipes popping up on Pinterest. If you like hot wings, you will like this.

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 chicken breasts, skin on, bone in (about 2 lbs)
  • 1/2 c. Louisiana Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)
  • 1/2 c. blue cheese salad dressing (or ranch)
  • 6-8 oz. shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
  • Tortilla chips or Frito Scoops
  • Celery sticks

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken breasts on a roasting pan. Rub skin with olive oil and season generously with Kosher salt and black pepper. Cook chicken for about 40 minutes until golden on the top and cooked through. Remove from oven and tent with foil. Let rest until cool enough to handle. When cooled, remove skin and pull chicken off the bone; cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.

roasted chicken breasts   chopped chicken

  • Beat cream cheese, hot sauce, and blue cheese dressing together until smooth.

beat cream cheese

  • Fold in chicken pieces.
  • Spray baking dish with Pam and spread mixture into the dish.
  • Sprinkle Colby-Jack cheese on top.

dip before baking

  • Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Serve hot with chips and celery sticks.

Notes

  • You can use 2 (10-oz) cans of chunk white chicken, drained if you do not have time to cook your own chicken. Although, now that I have perfected roasting a package of chicken breasts, I recommend the method above.
  • A pie pan or a 9×9 baking dish is a good size for serving this dip.

buffalo chicken dip close up

Super Bowl Super Dips

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pan fried onion dip2

I am trying to decide which one of my favorite party dips will make the Super Bowl cut this year– definitely something with cheese.

I am including a new recipe for Pan-Fried Onion Dip courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa in tonight’s post, and the recipe is followed by photos with links to my other favorite party dip recipe posts. Please leave a comment to vote for the Super Bowl dip recipe TheRoomMom should serve this Sunday. If you vote for the winning dip choice, you will have the satisfaction of the knowing that you made TheRoomDad (aka my husband) very happy.

Ingredients

  • 2 large yellow onions
  • 4 T. butter
  • 1/4 c. vegetable oil
  • 1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 t. kosher salt
  • 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/2 c. sour cream (or a little more)
  • 1/2 c. good mayonnaise (or a little less)

carmelizing onions

Directions

  • Cut the onions in half, and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick-half-rounds. (You should have about 3 cups of onions.)
  • Heat the butter and oil in a large sautee pan on medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and sautee for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and carmelized.
  • Allow the onions to cool. I scooped mine out of the pan with a slotted spoon and let cool on a couple of layers of paper towel on a plate.
  • Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings.
  • Serve at room temperature with kettle cooked potato chips, pretzel sticks, or veggies.

Black Bean Salsa Dip

Black Bean Salsa Dip

hot artichoke dip

Hot Artichoke Dip

I recently tweaked this recipe, and I love the new combination. I especially like the blue corn tortilla chips, but it is also good with mini party rye slices.

bacon almond cheese dip w cracker

Bacon Almond Cheddar Dip

This meets the cheese criteria, and it has crumbled bacon. It is a classic!

dill dip in bread bowl w veggies

Dill Dip

I scoop out the center of a round loaf of bread to use as a serving dish and surround with carrots, celery, red and yellow peppers, pita chips, and pretzel dipping sticks.

sun dried tomato dip

Sun Dried Tomato Dip

The best raw veggie for this dip is definitely sugar snap peas.

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