Gooseberry Patch

Get Ready for March Madness with our Guest Blogger!

Today, our Gooseberry Patch Guest Blogger series continues with a game-day recipe you'll love!

Lana from Walking the Off-Beaten Path is sharing a tailgating classic that's sure to put you in the mood to cheer on your favorite teams during March Madness!

Take it away, Lana!

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It’s that time of year: time for everyone to “Get ready to RUMBLE!” Indiana is a prime place to gather and celebrate basketball games and we bleed Gold and Black in this house. Go Purdue!

This is probably why I fell in love with Gooseberry Patch’s little recipe book, Our Favorite Game-Day. It is filled with easy and very popular recipes to make anyone’s game-day get-together a winner.

The big hit at all our family holiday parties, and a recipe I will make many, many more times by request is the 7-Layer Mexican Dip. WOW!

It can make a little or a lot, but there is rarely any left in the pan after you set it on the counter. After gathering the ingredients, it is a breeze to put together.

Here's what you'll need...

Ok, beans go on the bottom, and to fill this 9 X 13 dish, I increased my portions, about doubling most.

Next mix up the sour cream with your taco seasoning mix, and spread that over the bean layer.

Now it's time to prepare the most labor-intensive part of the dip, peeling the avocados! No matter how many times I have wished for it, the Good Lord still believes I can make do with only two arms and hands, so I do not have a picture of me peeling these guys, but the end result is represented.

Add lemon juice and garlic and then mash it all together with a fork. Spread over the last layer.

(Yes, you can save time and buy the guacamole, but this is a much healthier and tastier way to serve your avocados!)

I seem to have reversed a step here according to directions, but you can have some creative license with the layering as long as everything ends up in the dish. I sprinkled olives on top of the avocado mix...

Then added the cheese, diced tomatoes, onions and green chilies. Since this batch was going to a Christmas family gathering, I wanted to accent the red and green. Gotta be festive during the holidays!

And here is our finished product all ready for the first chip!

With March Madness starting soon, there will be many more opportunities to gather and watch basketball and make this wonderful, crowd pleasing dip...you'll love it.

My mother-in-law took it to card club and had rave reviews, and you know those card club people know what good food is! Here's the recipe I started with but, remember, I also started with a 9 x 13 pan.

Enjoy!

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Thanks so much for stopping by today to share this recipe, Lana!

Join us back here in a few weeks for another guest post, and if YOU would like to contribute, just drop us a note. We'd love to hear about a Gooseberry Patch recipe that you love or that you've tailored especially for your family.

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Rounding Up Recipes for the Big Game!

With the big game coming up this Sunday, our minds turned to appetizers, dips, meatballs and buffalo-anything...how about you? Whether you're a fan of the game or just love spending time with family & friends (and the commercials!), game-day snacks can't be beat!

So, tell us...

What are your favorite GAME-DAY recipes?
Share 'em all in today's Recipe Round-Up!

 

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This recipe is a classic for game-day get-togethers and
it's found in our cookbook, Our Favorite Cheese Recipes!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

3 boneless, skinless chicken
    breasts, cooked and diced
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese,
    softened
15-oz. jar blue cheese
    salad dressing
12-oz. bottle hot pepper
    sauce
12-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar
    cheese
celery sticks, tortilla chips

Combine chicken, cream cheese, salad dressing and hot sauce; spread in a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve with celery sticks and tortilla chips. Makes about 9 cups

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

 

Watch it all come together in this video!

 

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Be sure to visit some new friends this week and VOTE for your favorites by clicking Like under their entries...we'll feature the recipes with the most likes on Sunday!

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 Even if you don't have a blog to link below, tell us about YOUR recipe in the comments or, if you have a moment, share it with us on our website!

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60+ Game-Day Recipes for 99 CENTS!

We've recently added our series of Our Favorites cookbooks
to our eBook collection.This week only, for just 99 CENTS,
download a title that's perfect for this time of year!

 

Our Favorite Game-Day Recipes
-- 99 cents now thru 11/4/12 --

Just click the book above, select your eBook reader
and download!

Don't have an eReader? That's okay...you can still get a copy!
Download one of the free reading apps from Amazon
or Barnes & Noble and it's like having an eBook reader
right in your computer!

 

Here's a sample recipe from the cookbook...enjoy it with family & friends! 

Cranberry Cocktail Sausages

16-oz. can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1/3 c. seedless raspberry jam
1 t. cornstarch
1/2 t. hot pepper sauce
2 14-oz. pkgs. mini smoked sausages
Optional: sliced green onion

Mix together all ingredients except green onion in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; stir frequently until simmering. Reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausages are heated through. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with green onion, if desired.

 

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Be sure to tell your friends about this great deal!

Goodies for Game Day Get-Togethers

 

Whether you're a super-fan who wears your team's colors every weekend or if you just like to host a gameday get-together for the fun, friends and food, this week's Recipe Round-Up is sure to hit the spot!

We love a good party, and tailgating celebrations seem to offer particularly yummy menus...dips & spreads, little meatballs & sausages, brownies & cookies and so much more. We love it all!

So, tell us...

What are your favorite TAILGATING recipes?
Share 'em all in today's Recipe Round-Up!

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From 101 Easy Entertaining Recipes, these little burgers are a deliciously hearty game-day goodie...they'll help tide you over, while still leaving plenty of room for everything else!

Incredible Mini-Burger Bites
Megan Besch of Omaha, Nebraska, shared this recipe with us. She writes, "My family adores these...yours will too! We make them for football parties and summertime get-togethers."

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1-1/2 oz. pkg. onion
    soup mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. dry bread
    crumbs
3 T. water
1/2 t. garlic salt
1 t. pepper
24 dinner rolls, split
6 slices American cheese,
    quartered
Garnish: catsup, mustard,
    shredded lettuce, thinly
    sliced onion, dill pickles

Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl; refrigerate for an hour. Spread meat mixture over a large, greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and roll out evenly with a rolling pin. Discard plastic wrap; bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Slice into 24 squares with a pizza cutter. Top each roll with a burger square, a quarter cheese slice and garnish as desired. Makes 24 mini sandwiches.

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Link up your TAILGATING recipes below
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Even if you don't have a blog to link below, tell us about YOUR recipe in the comments or, if you have a moment, share it with us on our website!

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What Did YOU Make this Week?

 

EVERYONE has a recipe to link up this week...the theme couldn't be simpler! We just want to see what you made (or plan to make) this week. We've always got something tasty cooking in the kitchen and we know you do too!

So tell us...

Which recipes did you MAKE THIS WEEK?
Share 'em all in today's Recipe Round-Up!

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    Here's an easy-pleasin' appetizer from 101 Homestyle Favorites
that we enjoyed at a recent potluck...great for any party!

Touchdown Pinwheels
Roberta Steele of Rock Hall, Maryland shared this recipe with us...thanks Roberta! She writes, "So simple to tote 'em to a party...place the rolled tortillas in a cooler and slice them after you arrive!"

2 8-oz. pkgs. cream
    cheese, softened
1-oz. pkg. ranch salad
    dressing mix
2 green onions, chopped
5 12-inch flour tortillas
3/4 c. green olives with
    pimentos, chopped
3/4 c. black olives, chopped
4-1/2 oz. can chopped green
    chiles, drained
4-oz. jar chopped pimentos,
    drained

Combine cream cheese, dressing mix and onions. Blend well; spread evenly over one side of each tortilla. Stir together olives, chiles and pimentos; spoon over cream cheese mixture. Roll up each tortilla jelly-roll style; wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours; cut into one-inch slices. Makes about 4 dozen.

 

Even if you don't have a blog to link below, tell us about YOUR recipe in the comments or, if you have a moment, share it with us on our website!

 

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Link up the recipes MADE THIS WEEK below
and, if you're joining this hop, link back
here by using the handy button below.

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Be our guest...just click here to get the code.

Come back this SUNDAY to see which linked recipe were the favorites of our blog readers...we'll tally up the "likes" on Friday. Add yours and YOU could be featured!

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Rounding Up Game-Day Favorites!

The big game is this Sunday and, whether you watch the game or just tune in for the commercials, we know you'll be enjoying some mouthwatering treats. This week's Recipe Round-Up is all about those gameday goodies we love to share. So, tell us...

What are YOUR favorite SUPER BOWL recipes?
Share 'em all in today's Recipe Round-Up!

 

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Here's a recipe to inspire you from our dear friend
Susie Buetow, the voice behind the blog,
SusieQTPies Scraps of Life...you can find her
recipe in 101 Soups, Salads & Sandwiches!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Susie writes, "Besides looking tasty, this sandwich is very easy to make. It's my go-to recipe when hubby is having buddies over!" 

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
6 stalks celery, chopped
2 to 3 T. olive oil
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
Optional: 1 t. seasoning salt
17-1/2 oz bottle buffalo
    wing sauce
6 soft buns, split
Garnish: ranch or blue cheese
    salad dressing, crumbled
    blue cheese, additional
    wing sauce

Flatten chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thin between pieces of wax paper; set aside. In a skillet over medium-low heat, saute onion and celery in oil until tender. In a shallow bowl, combine flour and seasoning salt, if using. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture. Add chicken on top of onion mixture in pan. Cook for 5 minutes; flip chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add buffalo wing sauce to pan. Cover; increase heat to medium and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Serve on buns; garnish as desired. Makes 6 sandwiches.

 

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Link up your favorite SUPER BOWL recipes below
and, if you're joining this hop, link back
here by using the handy button below.

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Be our guest...just click here to get the code.

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Make Any Meal a Special Occasion!

This week's Menu of the Week comes from 101 Easy Entertaining Recipes, a cookbook that's bound to become your go-to for parties and get-togethers, if it's not already!

While there are plenty of dishes perfect for sharing with friends, you'll also find dozens that need no occasion at all. We've picked some of our favorite recipes from this book and, as in all book in our 101 series, each has a color photo to go along with it.

 

Working Moms’ Cheese Ball
Shared by Vickie Garlitz of Edmond, Oklahoma, this has become one of our favorites to take along to potlucks and church suppers. She writes, "This is easy, quick and tastes great! Use whatever flavor of cream cheese you have in the fridge...dill, garlic, onion & chive are all tasty."

2  8-oz. containers flavored
    spreadable cream cheese
1/2 to 1 c. mixed shredded
    cheese
Optional: hot pepper sauce
    to taste
1/2 to 3/4 c. finely chopped
    pecans
Garnish: whole pecans,
    assorted crackers and
    cut-up vegetables

Blend cream cheese and shredded cheese in a medium bowl; add pepper sauce, if desired. Form into a ball and roll in chopped pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for one hour before serving. Garnish with whole pecans; surround with crackers and vegetables to serve. Makes 3 to 4 cups. 

 

Cheese Straws
Cindy McKinnon of El Dorado, Arkansas sent us this recipe, along with this note, "This is my Aunt Sister’s famous signature recipe. She passed away several years ago, yet she is still remembered as being an awesome cook." If you don't have a cookie press, just pat into crackers...so tasty served alongside soup or salad!

16-oz. pkg. shredded sharp
    Cheddar cheese,
    at room temperature
1-1/4 c. margarine, softened
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix well, using your hands. Spoon dough into a cookie press with a star tip. Press dough in strips onto ungreased baking sheets; cut strips 3 inches long. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until orange on bottom and around edges. Cool on wire racks; store in an airtight container. Makes 3 to 4 dozen. 

 

Chicken Ranch Quesadillas
This recipe was shared by Gretchen Brown of Forest Grove, Oregon. For family dinners, it's easy to serve everyone their own and to make it an easy-to-handle party snack, slice each quesadilla into 8 mini wedges.

1/2 c. ranch dip
8  8-inch flour tortillas
1 c. shredded Cheddar
    cheese
1 c. shredded Monterey
    Jack cheese
10-oz. can chicken,
    drained
1/3 c. bacon bits
Optional: salsa

Spread 2 tablespoons dip on each of 4 tortillas. Top each with one-quarter of the cheeses, chicken and bacon bits. Top with remaining tortillas. Place each tortilla stack in a lightly greased non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until lightly golden; turn carefully and cook until cheese is melted. Let stand for 2 minutes; slice into wedges. Serve with salsa, if desired. Serves 4. 

 

Yummy Ham Sandwiches
Beth Cavanaugh of Westerville, Ohio shared this recipe with us. it's a nothing-to-it recipe that’s always welcome at mealtime or any carry-in dinner or potluck.

6-lb. bone-in ham
8-oz. jar mustard
16-oz. pkg. brown sugar
24 dinner rolls, split

Place ham in a large slow cooker; cover with water. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until ham is very tender. Drain; let cool. Shred ham and return to slow cooker; stir in mustard and brown sugar. Cover and cook on low setting just until heated through. Serve on rolls. Makes 24 mini sandwiches.

 

 

 

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Want to learn more about 101 Easy Entertaining Recipes?

It was featured as Cookbook of the Week (bonus recipe!)
or you can view it on our site.

Click below to add it to your collection...it's half price all this week!

 

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Share this week's Menu of the Week with a friend!

Planning a Big Game Get-Together?

Whether you're having the gang over for the game on Sunday or attending a friend's get-together, you'll love these recipes...they're tailgating favorites!

Both recipes originally appeared in our book, Taste of Autumn. Did you know this book has an entire chapter of tailgating recipes, tips and ideas? If it's not part of your collection already, be sure to check it out!

Tailgate Party Sandwiches

Sent to us by Laurie Michael of Colorado Springs, Colorado...these little treats are so easy to make and Laurie says everyone always wants the recipe!

1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. margarine, softened
2 T. poppy seed
1 T. mustard
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
20 to 24 dinner rolls, halved
1 lb. shaved baked ham
8-oz. pkg. sliced Swiss cheese

Mix onion, margarine, poppy seed, mustard and Worcestershire sauce together; spread mixture on both sides of rolls. Cover one side with ham; place cheese over top. Replace top of roll; arranges on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted; separate rolls before serving. Makes 20 to 24 servings.

Everyone loves a cheese ball, right? For a fun and festive twist, try shaping this one into a "football" shape. Just press down a little flatter and more oblong, shaping the ends into gentle points. You can even pipe on a little sour cream for creative "laces" too!

End-Zone Cheese Ball

This yummy recipe comes from Kristie Rigo of Friedens, Pennsylvania...she says it's best to make it a few days ahead to let the flavors blend. Serve it with your favorite crispy crackers!

8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 t. horseradish
1/2 t. garlic salt
2-1/4 oz. jar dried chipped beef, chopped
3/4 c. chopped walnuts

Mix cream cheese, horseradish, garlic salt and dried beef together; shape into a ball or into a football as described above. Roll in nuts or sprinkle over top and press into cheese mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before serving. Makes 10 servings.