Pizza Fondue (Crock Pot Pizza Dip)

Have I ever told you how much I love using my crock pot around the holidays? Because I do. I love it. I adore being able to throw in simple things, wait a few hours, and having that EUREKA! moment when I open the lid. Plus life is CRAZY this time of year so the easier the better, right? It just so happens that today we had a Christmas get together with my in-laws and one set of my husband's grandparents. It was an informal, afternoon munchie type of affair. Perfect! I love those. But, we had to cram in a photo with Santa first. Don't get me started about how that went...





Poor Santa. But I digress.


So we made our way through that LOVELY experience and I realized I had less than two hours to throw something together. Sure, that sounds like plenty of time. But this two hours included six other errands I had to run. Enter Mr. Crock Pot, the miracle man.

As always, I wanted a crowd pleaser that was "lightened up" a bit. Lord knows how many calories I pack into my diet during the holidays so why not make our splurges less painful! And who doesn't love pizza ;)


Ingredients:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed






• 1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce






• 1 package (8 ounces) sliced TURKEY pepperoni, chopped






• 1 can (3.8 ounces) chopped ripe olives, drained






• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  
  

Directions:

• Place cream cheese in the crock pot.






• In a separate bowl, combine the pizza sauce, pepperoni and olives; pour over cream cheese.






• Top with mozzarella cheese.






• Cover and cook on low for one hour






• STIR






• Add in some shakes of Italian seasoning blend (if you don't have this, it's ok! It's basically a lazy persons way of adding oregano, rosemary, thyme, and basil. Most stores carry it in a pre-made bottle, which is exactly what I used.)






• Stir again! Give it a taste.






• Now give it about 20 minutes to relax. Then check the taste and more Italian seasonings!

This whole process took me about two hours.

I wish I could tell you how much seasoning I added, but it was really by taste. I would guess close to 2 tsp? Again, it was hit or miss. A few shakes here, a few shakes there.

Another note? This gets more awesome with time!

As the dip set it became more and more flavorful. I liked it when I first tried it, but LOVED it when I had it three hours after starting. I really suggest giving yourself at least four hours for this dip. The pizza flavor came out more and more as time passed. Again, I made this a "healthy" version but I'm sure it would be even better if you went for the real thing ;)

It's my new favorite, ENJOY!

PS - You might not think this would be good with carrots or any vegetable... but holy buckets! It's great! The perfect cheesy and crunchy bite. Try it. Really!

Source: Taste Of Home

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

Are you enjoying the 3, 2, 1 CAKE but wondering how you can use up some of that cake mix? Well, what do you know... I have a tasty solution! This recipe takes the classic rice krispie treat and kicks it up a notch with delicious cake batter flavor and festive sprinkles! Who knew that rice krispie treats could possibly get any better?!

Ingredients:

• 



• 3 TBSP butter
  


• 1 bag (10 oz) mini marshamallows
  


• 6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal



• 1/4 cup dry cake mix




• Fun, seasonal sprinkles :)
  
  

Directions:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows.




• Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined.




• Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture.



• Add some sprinkles so that they're combined throughout the mixture.



• Press into a baking dish (any size depending on how thick you like your treats) and top with remaining sprinkles.




• Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting and enjoy!

I made these on a Sunday with intentions of taking them in to the office, but my husband made such a dent in them that we decided to keep them at home to graze on. Delicious! The traditional rice krispie flavor with a subtle, sweet hint of fresh baked cake. It's a match made in easy recipe heaven.

Source: Just a Pinch

3, 2, 1 CAKE! Emergency cake, but easier!

Remember when I told you how to make "Emergency Chocolate Cake"? That recipe should be burned into your memory right now if you have those out-of-the-blue cravings for cake and goodies at the oddest hours. And while that recipe is a good one to keep handy, this one is even better! Yep, BETTER.

How could it possibly get any better? Well, it's easier, quicker, and even tastier. Plus it's incredibly versatile.

Ingredients:

• Angel food cake mix



• Any other cake mix (I used yellow in this version)



• 2 TBSP water

Directions:

• Dump one box of angel food cake mix into a ziplock bag and add another box of cake mix. Shake them together so they're well mixed.



• Take out 3 TBSP of the combined mixes and add to a microwave safe bowl.



• Add 2 TBSP of water and stir.



• Microwave for 1 minute and ENJOY!

See? The "3, 2, 1" part makes this so simple to remember. 3 TBSP cake mix, 2 TBSP water, 1 minute in the microwave!

This is the perfect bite-sized cake when you want to flavor without the fat. The key here is that one of the cakes MUST be angel food. Angel food has the egg whites in it that are necessary for this recipe to work. But you can certainly sub out the other mix with chocolate, spice, or whatever else your heart desires. You have to try this, you really do.

Want to add a special twist? Top with fat free cool whip or some fresh strawberries!

Another tip? Keep your cake mixes separate if you want to use the leftover dry mix for other purposes. If you do this, just remember that the 3 TBSP of total mix now needs to be 1.5 TBSP of each kind of separate mix. Still simple, but just a tip :)

Source: Better Recipes

Light Broccoli Three Cheese Bake

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but my goal this Thanksgiving was to really try to cut out some of the fat and calories that are so often synonymous with big holiday meals. Now I know some of my foodie friends are absolutely REPULSED by the idea of traditional "green bean casserole". You know what I'm talking about... the kind that uses Cream of Crap condensed soup and those crispy onion bites? Yeah, that stuff. I just LOVE that stuff!

But instead of trying to lighten up a classic (because I'm sure I'd just be disappointed with the outcome) I decided to go in a different direction. I knew I wanted healthy, I knew I wanted green veggies, and I knew I wanted at least a few of those crispy little onion bites! Well what do you know, I think we found a winner...


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fried onions (from 2.8-oz can)





• 2 bags (24 oz each) Green Giant frozen Broccoli & Three Cheese sauce





• 1 package (3 oz) fat-free cream cheese, cut into cubes





• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, if desired





• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper sauce

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350°F.




• In 5-quart Dutch oven, mix broccoli, cream cheese, bell pepper and red pepper sauce. Cover; cook over medium-low heat about 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking, until sauce chips are melted. Transfer to ungreased 2- to 3-quart casserole.

• Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle onions around outer edge of casserole; bake 5 minutes longer.

If you want to make this ahead of time like I did, just finish the first two steps of directions and pop in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The next day I simply brought to room temperature and finished the last step.

While this was definitely not a direct substitute for my dearly cherished, calorie laden vegetable side dish, it was still very good. And at only 60 calories a serving you don't feel like a gluttonous heathen going back in for seconds.

I know some of you are rolling your eyes right now about the bagged broccoli with cheese sauce, and that's okay! You're probably the same people who would rather go hungry than eat traditional green bean casserole, which it okay too. But this is one of the perks of hosting the holiday at your own home... you get to decide what goes on the table ;)

Source: Eat Better America

Hot Crab Dip Appetizer

As I mentioned before in some of my Thanksgiving posts, I wanted to "lighten up" a few sides and munchies for the holiday feast. Now, I don't know if I'd go so far as to say this recipe is healthy, but with a few simple modifications I was able to cut out nearly half the fat without compromising the flavor. This hot crab dip was delicious right out of the toaster oven but it was still tasty to pick at once it had cooled off too!


Ingredients:

• 1 package (8 ounces) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened





• 1 cup mayonnaise (I always use the Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil - it cuts the fat and calories in half!)





• 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning





• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (the powdered kind, people)





• 1 pound lump crabmeat (I used the imitation kind, they come in 8 oz packs so just grab two)





• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (any kind will work, I used a Mexican blend)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.





• Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning and ground mustard in medium bowl until well blended. Chop/dice the crab to your size preference add crabmeat; toss gently.





• Spread in shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and additional Old Bay Seasoning, if desired.





• Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with assorted crackers or sliced French bread.
  
  

I actually made this the day before I served it in order to cut down on some Thanksgiving day stress. I put everything together in my baking dish, covered with plastic wrap, and popped in the fridge until the next day. All I had to do the next morning was preheat the toaster oven and let this tasty little guy heat up. Easy peasy. You could also mix everything together and throw in the crock pot to make for a great game night snack!

Source: McCormick

Festive Apple Cranberry Pineapple Jello Salad

It wouldn't quite be Thanksgiving without good ol' cranberry salad, right? But this year my goal (along with not screwing up this massive turkey) was to lighten up some traditional sides. And whenever I want a healthier sweet treat, I turn to sugar-free Jello. I just LOVE playing with Jello. Regardless of it is when I make homemade gummi bears, super fun lollipops, or the always popular jello shots, it's just a gnarly substance. Love it! But I digress, back to the healthy sides!


Ingredients:

• 1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained



• 2 pkg. (3 oz. each) or 1 pkg. (6 oz.) sugar free raspberry Jello



• 1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce



• 1 apple, chopped

Directions:

• Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add enough cold water to juice to measure 3 cups; pour into saucepan. Bring to boil.



• Add boiling liquid to dry gelatin mixes in large bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cranberry sauce. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until slightly thickened.



• Stir in remaining pineapple and apples. Refridgerate 4 more hours until firm.

This was the ideal make-ahead side dish the day before. The first few steps take you less than 10 minutes, then while the jello is firming up for the first few hours you can move on to prepping other dishes. After I finished the third step I simply covered with plastic wrap and forgot about it. No really, I FORGOT ABOUT IT.

Flash forward to the next day... We had just finished gobbling down turkey, stuffing, sides, the whole works and we were moving on to dessert. That's when I opened the refrigerator and there was my cheery bowl of Apple Cranberry Pineapple Jello Salad just staring at me... forgotten and abandoned in the back. Poor little salad. Luckily, my Mom LOVES this so I was able to send it all home with her. Looks like it wasn't a waste after all!

Source: Kraft

Roast Turkey with Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon infused olive oil

*tap, tap, tap*

Is this thing on?


WOW, it has been way too long since I've had a chance to sit down and blog. In fact, it's been way too long since I've had a chance to really do anything in the kitchen that has been "blog worthy" either. I know that is no excuse to leave you hanging though. Just hear me out! You see, three pretty cool things happened in the absence since my last post...

1. I turned thirty! Okay, so that's not that cool but it was a hell of a good time ;)




2. My blog turned three! Since we all missed the celebration, I think I'll drum up some fun here in the next few weeks to celebrate.



3. I started grad school! Again, maybe not cool but definitely a massive commitment that has been eating up my free time. A very exciting experience though, so I hope you'll all stay with me and I regain my blog-footing.
   

Alright, enough of the excuses. Let's talk about Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a fantastic holiday and finally made your way through all of the leftovers. This was my first time hosting Thanksgiving so I decided to really give it my all when it came to this beautiful (and MASSIVE 22 pound!) turkey. Who better to turn to than Martha Stewart for a little hosting guidance?

Ingredients:

• 1 whole turkey, thawed if frozen, neck and giblets removed, and rinsed and patted dry



• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil



• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves (2 minced, 2 whole)
  


• 2 garlic clove, minced
  


• 7 wide strips lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)



• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  


• 2 large yellow onions, cut into 8 wedges each (16 total)
  
  
  

Directions:

• Let turkey sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third.



• In a small saucepan, heat oil, minced rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook until garlic is soft and lemon is slightly shriveled, 1 minute. Remove rosemary-lemon oil from heat and let cool.



• Season inside of turkey with salt and pepper. Loosely fill the large cavity with 8 wedges of onion, the remaining two rosemary sprigs, and one half of the lemon.



• Brush turkey all over with 1/2 cup rosemary-lemon oil and season with salt and pepper.
  


• Place the remaining 8 onion wedges and other half of the lemon (cut into fourths) in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Set a roasting rack over onion and lemon and place turkey on top.



• Roast until turkey is golden brown, 45 minutes to an hour.



• Reduce heat to 325 degrees, add 1 cup water to pan, and roast, brushing turkey with remaining rosemary oil every 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees, (add some water if pan becomes dry).
  

Wow, who knew such a simple prep process could make for such a moist and flavorful turkey! My family raved about how delicious this turned out. Granted, they would have told me it was good regardless, but since they went on and on I'll take it as the honest truth ;) I highly recommend giving this treatment to your next holiday bird, it was fantastic.

On an unrelated note... it feels good to be back!