Favorite Game-Day Snacks

In the South, football is part of our culture (there’s a reason the SEC is the best). In Alabama, it defines you (FACT: First question you’ll be asked when you arrive in Birmingham is “Are you for Auburn or Alabama?”). In Auburn (yes, I know I’m outnumbered), it’s your LIFE. At least for the first four months of the school year…

For me, football is yet another way to enjoy great food with great friends. Nothing beats curling up on the couch with some yummy snacks, a cold beer, and a big TV (all the better for yelling, my dear).

Husband and I will be spending Labor Day weekend at the lake with the WHOLE family (bless his heart, he’s the lone Alabama fan), so I’m already planning the delicious food that will accompany our day ‘o football.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
I first made this dip for the SEC Championship game last December. It lasted MAYBE 10 minutes. It’s everything you want in a Game-Day snack - the delicious combination of spicy wings and cool Ranch dressing, without all the mess. There are several great recipes out there, but this version from the blog “Woman, Wine and Song” is my favorite.

Ultimate Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip
Adapted from Adrienne Bailey, Mary England and Susie Cromer Clements

Ingredients
1 cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup chopped red onion
2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded OR one rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 cup of your favorite wing sauce (I like local favorite, Moore’s Buffalo Wing Sauce)
2 cups shredded Cheddar
Tortilla Chips and celery for dipping

Directions
1. Saute red onion in butter until tender (about 10 minutes); remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, half of shredded cheddar and sauted onions.
3. Mix thoroughly and pour into baking dish.
4. Sprinkle remaining cheddar on top.
5. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly.
6. Serve with tortilla chips and celery (and a cold beer!).

Black Bean, Corn and Feta Dip
With temps still in the high 90′s (come on Fall weather…), a cold, refreshing dip is also a great choice for the first Game Day of the season (a nice side for your Labor Day picnics, too).

* Adapted from Martha Reiser, AU Alum website

Ingredients
1 can black beans
1 can corn, shoepeg
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions
1. Combine black beans, corn, feta, olive oil, sugar and cider vinegar in a bowl.
2. Toss and serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.
*This dip gets better the longer it sits.

Roast Beef and Havarti Sandwiches
This fabulous recipe from Southern Living is a welcome twist on the tried-and-true Ham and Poppyseed Sandwiches. With the creamy Havarti, sweet peach preserves and crunchy walnuts, these are truly addicting (definitely my most-requested hors d’oeuvres!). Bonus: Perfect “make- ahead” snack. Stick a few batches in the fridge on Game Day and heat as needed.

photo from myrecipes.com

*Recipe from Southern Living, December 2008
Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 (9.25-oz.) packages dinner rolls (I use Rainbo Dinner Rolls)
2/3 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup mustard-mayonnaise blend (i.e. Hellman’s Dijonnaise)
3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef, chopped
1/2 pound thinly sliced Havarti cheese
Salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Heat walnuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
3. Remove rolls from packages. (Do not separate rolls.) Cut rolls in half horizontally, creating 1 top and 1 bottom per package. Spread preserves on cut sides of top of rolls; sprinkle with walnuts. Spread mustard-mayonnaise blend on cut sides of bottom of rolls; top with roast beef and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover with top halves of rolls, preserves sides down, and wrap in aluminum foil.
4. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice into individual sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Now all you need is some icy cold beer and good company, and you are ready for a full day of football-watching.

Summer Desserts

I don’t know about you, but I am pretty great at procrastinating. Not because I work better under pressure (although that’s a nice excuse); it’s just in my nature to wait until the very last minute. Drives my mother CRAZY. Which is funny, because I’m pretty sure I inherited that trait from her…ANYway.

I’m bringing dessert to a cookout tonight and in true “Southern Soiree” fashion, I have only just begun to think about what to bring. Naturally, this leads me to what I like to call a ”Carrie Bradshaw” moment (say it with me) – I couldn’t help but wonder, what are some of the best quick and easy desserts to pull together for summer entertaining?

Enter the Banana Pudding. Some say its boring, I say dependable (which is totally different than boring. Totally). My standard go-to recipe is this low-cal version that my Aunt Dianne introduced me to (it makes me feel so much better about eating the entire bowl by myself), but it’s also fun to experiment by changing just a few ingredients. Use small cubes of pound cake instead of Nilla Wafers. Add some Nutter Butters to create the taste of a PB&B sandwich (a fave from my childhood…and maybe adulthood). For a more grown-up version, add a splash of Banana Liqueur to the pudding, or take it one step further and cook the bananas in Rum and Brown Sugar, “Bananas Foster” style. See? Not so boring anymore. And if you have a few extra minutes on hand, take the presentation up a notch by serving the dessert in individual glasses. I love the look of these parfait glasses featured in Southern Living. I like to serve mine in stemless Cosmo glasses (easier to eat out of).

*Photo from myrecipes.com

This dessert doesn’t necessarily scream “summer”, but we serve Chocolate Eclair Cake at the lake a lot and it ALWAYS disappears quickly. It’s easy, light and great for a crowd. I like the recipe on the Kraft Foods website; although, sometimes I cheat and use canned chocolate frosting. Ssshhhhh……

*Photo from kraftrecipes.com

Of course, you CAN’T have a summer dessert in the South without using our delicious Chilton County peaches. When you’ve already got the grill fired up, why not use it for dessert, too? This recipe from Epicurious is a favorite of mine – Grilled Peaches with Fresh Raspberry Sauce. You can make the Raspberry Sauce ahead (provided you are not a procrastinator extraordinaire, like yours truly), and the rest only takes a few minutes. Serve it over ice cream or pound cake for a simple, but impressive dessert.

*Photo from epicurious.com

Pick up some fresh peaches at the farmer’s market this weekend (Pepper Place, East Lake or Urban Cookhouse/Homewood are my personal faves) and try it out!

And just in case you are wondering, I’m going with the Grilled Peaches tonight.

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip

In keeping with my feta obsession, I experimented with a new recipe this weekend while hanging out with my sister and brother-in-law. It's similar to my mom's yummy Artichoke Dip, but with feta instead of parmesan, and peppers instead of artichokes. Ok, so maybe they're not that similar. But they are both delicious. I love the combination of the tangy feta with the fiery peppers, and the Panko breadcrumb topping added a nice crunch to the creamy dip. It's kind of like a really gourmet pimiento cheese--either way, it's a keeper!

Ingredients

1 shallot, diced
1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
8 oz. feta, crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp. butter
3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Sliced baguette or pita chips

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. of butter and saute shallot until softened (8-10 minutes). Combine next four ingredients in a glass bowl; add shallots and blend well. *Note- Make sure the peppers are VERY well drained, so they do not add too much water to the dip. Pour mixture into 8×8 casserole dish and top with Panko breadcrumbs. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. of butter and drizzle over dip. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Broil for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the topping is crispy and golden brown.

Serve with a fresh, sliced baguette or pita chips.

Baby Shower

Well I think the hard work paid off. I successfully schlepped (almost) every entertaining piece that I owned to Atlanta for my dear friend Anna's baby shower (or as Husband liked to refer to it, "the thing that took over my life and my dining room). Husband looked at the pile on the living room floor as he was about to load the car and said, "Ok, how about we leave half of this stuff here." I ignored him. Of course, as soon as we arrived Anna's sweet mom saw our stash and said, "I have dishes, you know." I might have gotten a glare from Husband at that point, but I can't be sure.

Anyway, our resident photographer (aka my mom) got some great shots of the food, table and of course, beautiful parents-to-be. It was an incredibly special day and we were so happy to be a part of it!

My pride and glory--the diaper cake. I decided that instead of flowers, I would make this the "centerpiece" of the table.I mean, flowers are beautiful, but diapers are useful. I followed the instructions on this helpful site...it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be! Don't you love it when that happens?

After I put it together, I decorated with some cute ribbon that coordinated with the invitations, plates and napkins that I picked out (because I'm a big nerd). I topped the "cake" with some fresh hydrangea and used an ivory cake stand (one of my favorite wedding gifts) to display it. I was really excited about these adorable socks I found at Swoozie's. Anna and Jeremy have decided to wait until the baby is born to tell us his name (believe me, I have tried to get it out of them) so they affectionately call him "Little Buddy." Imagine my delight when I found little baby socks embroidered with (you guessed it)... Little Buddy! Perfection!

Oh, the food. My favorite part of any gathering. I have to give a HUGE thank you to Anna's amazing father, Mr. Yanni, who slow-cooked his own BBQ pork for us to make mini BBQ sliders with. It was incredible. I filled out the table with Warm Swiss and Bacon Dip, Artichoke Dip with Pita Chips, Mini Roast Beef and Havarti Sliders, Red Potato Salad and some fresh veggies.

Dessert included Brownie Bites, Petit Fours (with blue baby booties--adorable!) and Anna's favorite pregnancy craving--Oatmeal Cream Sandwiches. It was actually the only thing she could eat for about three months.

As another gift to Anna and Jeremy, we asked the guests to write down some words of encouragement or blessings for the parents-to-be. I added their baby pictures to the table in some adorable frames that they can use for the nursery. Note: Given the number of swine flu cases that had been diagnosed at the time of the shower, we asked guests to sanitize their hands. Anna thinks of everything.

Congratulations Anna and Jeremy! We can't wait to meet Little Buddy!

Italian Margaritas, Bite-Sized Snacks and Decor

My mom and I absolutely love the Italian Margaritas at Johnny Carino’s (one of my favorite “chain” restaurants–casual, fun atmosphere and terrific food). So I decided to try my hand at re-creating the delicious, sweet taste of their signature drink for my Cinco de Mayo celebration.

I cheated a little bit and used a Bacardi Margarita frozen mixer instead of making the entire thing from scratch, but the end result was so good that no one seemed to mind!

Italian Margaritas

1 10 oz. can Bacardi Margarita frozen mixer
3/4 cup Tequila of choice
6 cups ice
1/2 cup Amaretto
Margarita salt OR coarse sugar
Lime

Follow the directions on the Bacardi package (essentially, combine the mixer with the tequila, amaretto, plenty of ice, blend until smooth). Rim your glass with some lime juice and dip in margarita salt or sugar, whichever you prefer. Pour margarita into glass, garnish with a lime and enjoy! Feel free to adjust the amaretto to your taste. I happen to love the sweet, almond flavor so I’m apt to add a bit more. This makes about 4 servings.

Mini Cilantro Salsa Bites

Hors d’oeuvres just don’t get any easier than this. I took some Tostitos Scoops and filled them with my favorite Southwestern Black Bean and White Corn salsa (Sam’s Choice–who knew??), then sprinkled some fresh cilantro on top. Quick, easy, yummy–what’s not to love?


Decor

Speaking of things I love, let's talk about Pier 1. They never cease to amaze me with their great products and even better prices. I refrained from going crazy (easy for me to do) and picked up just a few pieces to complete my festive display. A colorful, striped platter was the perfect backdrop for my tiny snacks and I couldn’t resist these martini-shaped candles. Adorable AND functional. What more can you ask for?

These Gerbera daisies were on sale–three bunches for $10! I picked out the brightest of the bunch–orange and hot pink. Used in a vase or on a platter, they added color and fun to my table.

Fabulous At-Home Fiesta

I don’t need an excuse to throw a party, but Cinco de Mayo sure is a good one! Not only is it fun, but it’s EASY. Throw together some chips n’ dip, quesadillas and a pitcher of margs (margaritas) and call it real! This year, I’ve got some super-simple ideas that will be sure to impress.

Individual Mexican Layered Dip

I learned this trick while interning at Southern Living during college. My dear friend, Kate Graham, and I had the opportunity to work on a video shoot for Wal-Mart. We spent two days buying groceries and cooking utensils in massive quantities, became best friends with the Wal-Mart employees (and left 10 lbs. of butter in the photo stylist’s van…overnight…in July), and learned fun new recipes and behind-the-scenes secrets. It was a blast. Except for the butter incident…

Anyway, I loved the idea of individual servings of dip in a martini glass. Turns out, SL was way ahead of their time. In the catering world, EVERYTHING is now served in a mini-this or individual-that.

The how-to is simple. Start with a clean martini glass and coat the rim with a lime. Dip the glass in a shallow dish of red pepper or chili powder, just like you would in salt for a margarita. Shake off the excess. Layer your dip ingredients in the following order:

1. Re-fried beans (I mixed mine with some spicy Rotel to give it an extra kick).
2. Guacamole
3. Sour Cream
4. Shredded Cheese (I used the Fiesta blend, but Cheddar works too!)
5. Jalapenos and homemade baked tortilla chips, for garnish

Feel free to mix it up any way you like–you can add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, whatever looks good to you! I made homemade tortilla chips in an effort to be somewhat healthy. Take 3-4 tortillas layered on top of one another, cut into 8 triangles (which will give you about 24-32 chips), arrange on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray, drizzle some olive oil, squeeze some lime, sprinkle salt and pepper, and bake at 350 degrees until nice and crispy (10-12 minutes).

UP NEXT: Italian Margaritas and Mini Salsa Cilantro Bites!

Easter Brunch Recap

I just wanted to share some pictures from my very first Easter Brunch! It was a beautiful day with two of my favorite things--food and family. I think we have a new favorite dish with the Decadent French Toast.
As far as decor, I cheated a little bit--I got lucky and snagged some leftover flowers from a wedding at work the night before, and made my centerpiece. I added my most "spring-y" looking place mats and napkin rings, my hand-painted eggs from Wrapsody and Voila! Instant table scape (it doesn't take much, my table isn't that big!)

The Fruit Salad Martini ended up being a great idea--we were a little behind getting out of church, so the casserole still had about 20 minutes to bake when my family arrived. Everyone enjoyed the fruit while watching the Masters, and I was able to finish up in the kitchen. Just use any fruit you like--whatever is in season. I picked out my favorites (strawberries and blackberries) and filled in with melon, cantaloupe, grapes and blueberries. I topped it off with my favorite Almond Vanilla Granola, which gave it a nice crunch.



And now the main event...the Decadent French Toast. True to its name, this dish was every bit as rich as I expected it to be. I made one slight modification, using almond extract instead of vanilla. My family loves anything almond. It definitely gives the dish a more pronounced flavor and the texture was wonderful--almost like a custard. This is definitely not your average french toast. I can only imagine that it would taste like with a little drop of Amaretto or Grand Marnier. I may have to try that next time! If you're wondering why you can't see the whole dish, it's because I forgot to take a picture before we ate and this was all that was left! I guess that means they really did like it and weren't just trying to be nice.

Decadent French Toast

• 2 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar (I used dark because that is what I already had, and it worked fine!)
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 12 slices Honey Wheat bread, crusts removed
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or almond)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
  

Directions
Combine syrup, sugar and butter in a saucepan, and heat until bubbly. Pour into 12x9x2 inch baking dish. Place bread in two layers over syrup. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla (or almond) extract. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Spread sour cream over french toast and cover with sliced strawberries. Serve hot with maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

This is my first Easter as a married woman (Husband and I celebrate our one year anniversary this Sunday—wahoo!), so to “act the part” I have invited my parents, sister and her husband over for Easter Brunch. It just sounds so grown up, doesn’t it? Plus, it’s an excuse to finally break out the fine china that Husband swore we would never use. Only two questions remain: 1. How did I ever think that I was going to fit 6 people (plus a toddler) in our tiny condo and even tinier dining room, and 2. What shall I feed them?

I decided on brunch instead of lunch because I’m not good at coming up with yummy lunch menus. We eat a lot of ham sandwiches around here. Plus, anything I can eat while drinking a mimosa pretty much makes my day.

I had all of these grand ideas about what I would serve, until I realized that most of them would mean not eating until 3pm. And my family is not that patient. So I’m going with a good ‘ol French Toast casserole (I’m a sucker for good casseroles). The recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks that I’ve never actually used (I mostly stare at the pictures).

The book is Food for Thought by the Birmingham Junior League. Aren’t those always the best? I’ll post the recipe shortly and let ya’ll know how it turns out next week. Meanwhile, I’ll be back soon with some other great brunch ideas. Enjoy this beautiful weather!

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

I really am, actually—it’s not just a line. You might think that with my Irish heritage, I’d be all about St. Paddy’s Day. To tell you the truth…I completely forgot about it. No green outfits, shamrocks or corned beef hash…I won’t even be partaking in any green beer (1. because that’s gross and 2. because I’m baby-sitting my nephew tonight and that would be inappropriate). So I've COMPLETELY dropped the ball on any great cooking or entertaining ideas. I’ll do better next year.

In the meantime, here are some cute ideas I found for Irish-inspired sweets that are easy to whip up at the last minute if, like me, you are less than prepared for whatever shindig you might be heading to.

How adorable are these? Michael’s or any craft store will probably have whatever supplies you need to duplicate these pennants. Or, have the cupcakes already decorated and let your guests make their own. With a little Guinness in them, I’m sure their sayings will be quite creative!

*Photo courtesy sascupcakes.com.



These are from a fabulous bakery in Beverly Hills (with other locations around the US). They serve nothing but cupcakes in extremely unique flavors (these have a Bailey’s Irish Cream frosting—YUM!). The best part is, you can buy the mix at Williams-Sonoma so you don’t have to go cross-country to get them.

*Photo courtesy sprinkles.com.




Ya’ll can keep your green beer. I’ll be over here with my Bailey’s Irish Martini (after my adorable nephew is off to bed, of course).

*Photo courtesy fineliving.com.

Entertaining Class (or more accurately, Excuse to go Shopping)

No plans this Sunday night? Head over to Pottery Barn at the Summit for a complimentary entertaining class. The topic is “Hosting a Fabulous Weekend Brunch”, featuring ideas from the book Fandango: Recipes, Parties and License to Make Magic by Sandy Hill. I’m pumped—I am all about some brunch. I’m sure there will also be some adorable decorations and ideas for Easter entertaining. If you need an extra incentive, all class participants will receive a 10% discount off products featured in the class. Reason enough, right?The class begins at 6:15pm. Space is limited so call soon to reserve a space or get more information. See you there!

Pottery Barn
300 Summit Blvd.
(205) 298-0373

Death by Chocolate

I thought this would be a great dessert to add to the champagne party, which I have now christened "Champagne and Chocolat" (French pronunciation, please). The name says it all--Death by Chocolate. I mean, what a way to go...

I got this recipe from my DEAR friend Anna at my kitchen/recipe shower last year. She made it in college all the time (to rave reviews) so I was thrilled to get the recipe. She also drew hearts on the recipe card to "make it special". I love her. =)


It's so simple and so yummy...what better combination is there? It also has a nice presentation, as you can see to the left here. Feel free to dress it up however you like--crushed candy bars, syrup, chocolate curls, etc. Just don't bank on any leftovers!



INGREDIENTS:
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 bag of mini Heath Bars, crushed (a hammer works nicely)

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare brownies according to package directions and let cool completely (I did them the night before).
2. Mix pudding according to package directions.
3. In a glass trifle bowl, layer in the following order: 1/2 of the brownie, crumbled; 1/2 of the pudding; toffee bars, crushed; 1/2 of the whipped topping. Repeat layers in the same order.
4. Save some toffee bars to crumble and sprinkle on top before serving. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Champagne Tasting

I got the inspiration for this idea while Husband and I were in Hotlanta for a wedding last weekend (congrats Mr. and Mrs. Simmons!). It was fabulous, though we expected nothing less—the bride has exquisite taste. Upon arriving at the reception we chose our priorities carefully-drink first, food later. I wasn’t really in the mood for wine (shocking, I know) so I opted for some champagne. (Also, the champagne glasses were gorgeous—I always notice great glassware. It might be because I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with china/glassware/entertaining pieces, but whatever). Disclaimer: the photo below is not actually from this wedding. I was not clever enough to think about photographing said gorgeous glass and posting it on my blog, so I'm using an image from my own wedding to get the idea across). =)


Anyway, there’s something about being dressed up and sipping some bubbly that makes me want to walk around humming “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story (and by “want”, I mean “did”). In any case, my friend Claire declared my beverage of choice “swanky” and pretty soon several of my girlfriends were sipping champagne and humming Broadway show tunes (ok, I’m kidding about that last part). I have to admit, I was a teensy bit impressed with myself. I’ve never really started a trend before! But more than that, I never really noticed that we liked champagne all that much. Maybe it was just the occasion, maybe it was the atmosphere (stop me before I break out in “Maybe it was Memphis”), but I decided that for our next “Girls Night In” we’d trade our wine and cheese stand-by for something just as simple but slightly more sophisticated—a champagne tasting.

Now when I say “tasting” I don’t mean let’s go buy a $4 bottle of Andre and a $50+ bottle of Veuve Clicquot and see which one we like better. I don’t know a lot about champagne but I’m pretty sure the general consensus is that the more expensive the bottle, the better it tastes. With this economy, just give me the cheap stuff. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Instead, I’m thinking of something more like a Champagne Bar, where you can mix and match different flavors to make your champagne cocktail of choice.

Supplies:

1. Champagne—I’d go with something mid-priced, such as Korbel. Brut is the most common level of dryness, but you can also try an Extra Brut (very dry) or Extra Dry (hint of sweetness) and let your guests decide how sweet they like it. And yes, the names confuse me too.

2. Mixers—Orange juice for Mimosas, Peach Schnapps for a Bellini, Pomegranate juice for a Pomelini—you get the idea.


3. Garnishes—Fresh fruit always adds a little “something”. I like to use strawberries, raspberries and peaches.

4. Snacks—I prefer sweets with my champagne, but real food works too. Some easy and yummy ideas are chocolate-dipped strawberries, mini cheesecakes or my personal favorite—cake bites from Pastry Art in Homewood. They are DIVINE (I’d go with the Red Velvet or Caramel—but that’s just me!!).

Enjoy!

Girls Night is Back

Before we all grew up and got married, Monday nights used to be our token "Girls Night". The boys played poker, and the girls drank wine and watched The Bachelor. As it often happens, lives got busier and busier and Girls Night occured less and less often. This depressed me.

So to get the month of December started off in the Christmas spirit (and put Girls Night back on the calendar), some of my favorite ladies and I planned a Girls Night Christmas and Ornament Swap party. It was a HUGE success, and I dare say, will turn into an annual event.

My favorite planning process of any party is deciding on the menu, and I’m lucky that my friends love food as much as I do. We had fun coming up with delicious hors d’oeuvres for our guests. I'll spread the recipes out into a couple of posts, so as to not overwhelm anyone (or have a post that goes on for days). I'm hoping you'll add these to some of your favorite snacks!

Chardonnay, Artichoke and Parmesan Dip

Probably one of the tastiest and EASIEST dips in all of the land is artichoke dip. My mom would make it for all kinds of occasions, and I would park myself right next to the bowl (and stare down anyone who dared to take my dip from me). Anyway, I started making it in college for my own round of parties, girls nights, showers, etc. and tweaked a few things along the way. I know there are a million other versions that are similar (I’m pretty sure the original recipe is on the back of Hellman’s Mayonnaise) but here is my take.

Ingredients:
1 can artichokes, drained and chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup real mayonnaise

1 tsp. minced garlic (or however much you like--I love garlic so sometimes I add more)

½ tsp. hot sauce

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup dry Chardonnay (preferably from the bottle you've open to enjoy as you cook) =)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together until well blended. Bake in Pyrex dish or casserole dish for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly. Garnish with fresh shaved parmesan and serve with tortilla chips, crackers, fresh bread, whatever your fancy.

I could eat the whole dish in one sitting. I am not ashamed.