party food – Makin' it Mo'Betta

Meat Lover’s Pizza Dip

January 20, 2016January 26, 2018 Kim

So, I heard there’s a big football game coming up pretty soon. And y’all know me, any excuse to make & eat party food. This pizza dip would be great for a Super Bowl party (or any party), for after school snacking, or you can go crazy and eat it for dinner (which is exactly what my husband did one night recently.) It can be a low-carb alternative to traditional pizza, depending on what you eat it with.

You can also add whatever pizza toppings you like. I made this a ‘Meat Lover’s’ version, full of (turkey) pepperoni, seasoned ground beef, and bacon. Sausage and Canadian Bacon would have been good too.

This is a cheesy, creamy dip, that is good with tortilla chips, corn chips, pita chips, toasted French bread, bread sticks, and the list goes on. I wasn’t a big fan of the pretzels used in the above pic however. They turned a little soft & I didn’t like the texture. Of course, the dip is also good eaten with a spoon!

I used:

1 lb ground turkey sausage

1 jar No sugar added Ragu Light Spaghetti Sauce (with lots of added oregano!) – feel free to use your favorite pizza or pasta sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

turkey pepperoni – to taste

1/2 small diced onion

**These cheese quantities are estimates. My crowd likes LOTS of cheese, so you can adjust it to suit your fancy. I mean taste buds. You can also add mushrooms, peppers, whatever your family likes on a pizza. I’ve also made this with eggs mixed in with the meat to form a ‘base’ …more like a traditional pizza. However, since Mr. Three is allergic to eggs, I can’t do that anymore.

DIRECTIONS:

Cook your ground turkey and onion together, drain if needed. Place a little sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish (I used a 9×13), dump your turkey/onion on top, add the rest of your sauce, top with cheese, place pepperoni on top. Bake until golden brown and bubbly.

Recipe adapted from and my Pizza Casserole

As you can see, the amounts and ingredients are very versatile. Anything you like on pizza will probably work well in this dip. Feel free to add more or less meat, cheese, and spices.

Will you be watching the Super Bowl? Thought about what food you will be serving? That is the most important part, right?
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How to Make Perfect Pasta Salad {without a recipe!}

April 29, 2015November 7, 2015 Kim

I love pasta salad, and it’s so versatile. You basically boil some pasta, throw in some veggies, and add a dressing. Right? Well…that hasn’t worked out so well for me in the past. I just couldn’t get it quite right. Until now!

Through some trial and error, I have figured out a few tips that make for the perfect pasta salad every time. I have been able to make a little or a lot, use whatever is on hand, and it’s good every time! I have posted these tips (and a basic recipe) over at today. I’d love for you to head over and check it out!

Football Party Food

January 30, 2015November 12, 2015 Kim

I’m the first to admit that I know nothing about football. However, I’m all about some party food. Even though I will not be having a party…it’s a school night, ya know…I will be fixing up some yummy snacks so we can gather around the TV and watch the Super Bowl (mainly the commercials and .) So, if anyone is still working on their menu, here are a few ideas –

Queso Dip {2-ingredients}

Hot Ham Dips

Meatball Sliders (also see 3-Ingredient Meatballs made in the crockpot)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Pork BBQ {Crockpot}

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Sausage Balls

Creamy Sausage Dip and Restaurant Style Salsa

Pizza Puffs (these are good at room temp too)

Pizza Monkey Bread

And *some* of you may be interested in this bright GREEN punch….

Obviously, minus the rubber duckies 😉

And for that sweet tooth…

~or~

Bourbon Fudge

For my low carb or diabetic friends…

Cinnamon Crunchies

So, is football your thing? Will you be watching or grazing the food table like me?

Queso Dip { 2 ingredients!} #QuesoForAll #sponsored

January 28, 2015November 12, 2015 Kim

This post brought to you by . The content and opinions expressed below are that of Makin’ it Mo’Betta.

Two ingredients? I’m in. I love quick and easy, and when it tastes good AND a majority of my house will eat…it’s a total win.

Therefore, Queso Dip made with RO*TEL and VELVEETA was a winner in my house! This would be great for “the big game” (don’t ask me to talk football, but I can talk football food all day long) or any social gathering. I made it recently for my daughter’s birthday party.

I blend my RO*TEL with an immersion blender so that the dip is smooth…because my kids will not eat chunks of tomato *insert eye roll*.

Either way it’s flavorful, creamy, and spicy (but not too spicy!).

Queso Dip

(from the back of the RO*TEL can)

16 ounces VELVEETA
1 (10 ounce) can RO*TEL (you could use Mild, Original, or Hot)

Melt VELVEETA in a sauce pan over medium heat with can of undrained RO*TEL until cheese is melted and sauce is heated through. Use immersion blender to blend until smooth if desired. (You could also run the tomatoes through a regular blender and then add to cheese.)

Queso Dip is awesome served with tortilla chips, but we also enjoyed it over nachos.

Pile tortilla chips with Queso Dip and whatever else you like!

YUM. Get more Queso recipe ideas at , as well as, and .

What’s on your Super Bowl menu? Inquiring minds want to know!

Pimento Cheese “Caviar of the South”

May 30, 2014November 15, 2015 Kim

First, let me clear up a dilemma…the pimento vs pimiento dilemma. Why different spellings? Is it like doughnuts vs donuts?! These are question I ponder. Well, worry no more. You can spell it either way, it means the same thing, the variation in spelling has to do with the country of origin (and, you know, if you really want to know more…Google is your friend). Pimento/pimiento is a cherry pepper that can be mild or spicy depending on the variety. The ones I buy in the jar from the grocery store are pretty mild.

If you are from the South, you probably are very familiar with pimento cheese. It’s kind of a Southern staple found at picnics, potlucks, baby showers…you name it. Little pimento cheese sandwiches on white bread cut into little triangles or shapes…a tradition 🙂 They are also delicious. However, my favorite way to eat pimiento cheese?

On crackers, topped with pickled jalapenos! Yummm! It’s also good, as I’ve mentioned before, on top of a burger…

Or, you can make a grilled cheese with it. Now, there are a couple of different ways to make pimiento/pimento cheese. The easiest method…

Pimiento Cheese

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (or you can mix sharp and mild)
1 jar of pimientos (I use the large jar, but if you are not a huge fan, you may want to use the small jar)
light mayo – enough to bind it all together. I never measure this, and the quantity will vary based on which jar of pimientos you use, if you use the juice of the pimientos (I do) and personal preference.

Add cheese to a medium size mixing bowl. Dump in the entire jar of pimientos (juice and all). Mix well. Add enough mayo to bind it all together. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like lots of pepper!

This is how I have made mine for years…until recently. I recently made Bobby’s version. If you are thinking Bobby who? Well, Bobby DEEN of course! Paula’s beloved son. Regardless of your feelings towards Paula and her ‘I said a bad word 20 years ago that used to be socially acceptable, however ugly it is, and now it’s not for a certain segment of the population but okay for others’ drama; the woman can cook. Albeit not the healthiest of meals, but she has a lot of recipes that are pretty awesome. Her son Bobby has come along and often times will ‘healthify’ some of his mama’s recipes, or make his own. Anyway, this is my version of which I originally found through .

Bobby’s Pimento Cheese

6-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 cups grated Monterey Jack
1/4 cup light mayonnaise (or too taste)
1 large jar pimentos, undrained
Salt, Cracked black pepper, Onion Powder – too taste

Mix cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
Stir in both cheeses, and entire jar of pimentos (juice and all).
Mix well (I do this by hand, but you can use a mixer if you want a smoother/creamier spread).
Stir in enough mayo to reach desired consistency – you may want a little more or less than I use. Cheese mixture will thicken up a little the next day.
Add a little salt, plenty of pepper and a little onion powder to reach desired taste.

Serve with crackers, veggie sticks or as a sandwich filling.

Are you a pimento cheese fan?

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Creamy Sausage Dip {with skinny option}

January 31, 2014January 8, 2016 Kim

Sausage is like crack. It rivals the beloved bacon. They each have their own special place in my meat-loving, nitrate infused world. In other words, I love sausage. I don’t eat it often, because let’s face it, it’s not a health food…BUT, let’s make an exception for this dip. It’s a great appie and should make any sausage loving person very happy. Oh, and it has cream cheese in it. And we know cream cheese makes errything a little mo’betta.

This dip goes by many names: sausage dip, cream cheese sausage dip, Rotel Sausage Dip, etc. Since I was out of Rotel when I made this, I’m just calling it Creamy Sausage Dip! I used salsa in the place of the Rotel, and it wasn’t as spicy as I like, but still delicious. I’ve been making this for years, and originally got the recipe from my cousin. There are variations all over the net, but this is my verison.

Creamy Sausage Dip

1 lb. sausage, cooked and crumbled (and drained if needed) *hot or mild

1 can Tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups salsa, drained

2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese (1 also works, will just be thicker, as pictured)

Mix cooked sausage and cream cheese in a pot over medium heat. Stir often until cream cheese has mostly melted. Add Rotel or salsa. Stir to combine and continue to heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is warm throughout. Dip can be placed (or prepared) in a crock pot to keep warm while being served.

Serve with chips, crackers, pita crisps, etc.

Want your Creamy Sausage Dip to be a little more waistline friendly?

Skinny Creamy Sausage Dip

1 lb. turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled (buy it or make it)

1 can Rotel Tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups salsa, drained

1 or 2 (8 oz) package(s) fat free cream cheese

Prepare as above.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips, or store bought baked tortilla chips. It’s still not a health food, but a little more figure friendly! ‘Cuz everyone wants to eat party food…dieting or not!

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