100. Black-Eyed-Pea Dip

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I'm finishing this challenge (woot!) with a recipe that's perfect for a New Year's Day gathering.

I used the Glory brand of black-eyed peas, which are seasoned Southern-style, and they lent this dip a great smoky/meaty flavor. The diced bell pepper gave it a nice texture and pop of color.

I couldn't find garlic ranch dressing, so I just used the original version and added in some garlic powder.

I saw (too late) that SL suggests serving this with cornbread crackers, which I think is a great idea...adds another Southern element.

1 (15-oz.) can black-eyed peas seasoned with pork, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
3 tablespoons garlic Ranch dressing
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir together first 6 ingredients. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

93. Marinated Cheese

From 2006 Southern Living Annual Recipes

For Christmas Eve at my parents' house, we always have soup/chili and a bunch of nibbles, so I brought these to share with the group.

The flavor from the Italian dressing wasn't as strong as I anticipated, but these still tasted great. And, with the three different colors of cheese, it made for a pretty presentation.

I put the cream cheese in the freezer for about 30 minutes, which made it much easier to slice. However, those slices broke down a little in the marinade...but they're the ones that soaked up the most of the flavor.

1 (0.7-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons minced green onion
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 (8-oz.) block Monterey Jack cheese, chilled
1 (8-oz.) block Cheddar cheese, chilled
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, chilled
1 (4-oz.) jar chopped pimiento, drained
Assorted crackers

Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Set aside.

Cut Monterey Jack cheese in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Repeat with Cheddar cheese and cream cheese.

Arrange cheese in 4 rows in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish, alternating Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar cheese, and cream cheese. Pour marinade over cheese. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Drain marinade; arrange cheese on a platter in rows. Top with pimiento, and serve with assorted crackers.

82. Pesto Dip

From 1997 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I had pesto left over from the lasagna, and an SEC Championship party to attend, so I made this very flavorful dip. If you're looking for something quick and easy to put together, this is a good go-to recipe. It's simple, light, and delicious.

I actually left out the buttermilk because I didn't want to buy a big carton for only 1/4 cup. I can't imagine that small of an amount making a difference in the recipe, unless it's just to thin it out, and I liked the consistency without it. 

1 (7-ounce) container pesto

3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk

Stir together all ingredients in a medium bowl until blended. Cover and chill. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables.

80. Quick Artichoke Dip

From 2002 Southern Living Annual Recipes

The Iron Bowl (Auburn-Alabama football game) is practically a holiday in Alabama...Birmingham itself literally shuts down for four hours. I'm a Georgia fan (and I know I shouldn't say that with any pride this year), so I never have a dog in this hunt, but I'm always up for a party.

This dip made a fabulous addition to the spread at my friend Jenny's get-together. It was sooo easy to put make, and it was delicious...tangy, creamy, undertone of artichokes. The Italian dressing gave it great flavor. YUM!

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 (0.6-ounce) envelope Italian dressing mix
1 (16-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Process first 3 ingredients in a food processor until blended, stopping to scrape down sides. Add artichokes and cheese, pulsing 5 to 7 times or just until artichokes are coarsely chopped.

Spoon mixture into a serving bowl; cover and chill 1 hour.

74. Monster Meatball Sandwiches

From 2008 Southern Living Annual Recipes

These had all the potential to be great...but, somehow, they just weren't. I expected the meatballs to have a sweet, thick coating, but they ended up tasting bland. I wonder how they'd be if they were just cooked in the chutney, without the chicken broth to dilute the flavor.

I couldn't find the particular relish the recipe called for, so I got sweet-n-hot salad peppers and chopped them up. They added all of the flavor to these sandwiches. I ended up putting them both on the bottom and top, so that every bite had crunch.

I loved the presentation for entertaining, so I'll definitely try this recipe again with some adjustments.
32 bite-size frozen meatballs

1 (9-oz.) jar mango chutney
1 cup chicken broth
16 fresh dinner rolls
1 (16-oz.) jar sweet-hot pickle sandwich relish

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cut rolls vertically through top, cutting to but not through bottom. Place 2 meatballs in each roll. Top with desired amount of relish.

73. Spicy Party Spread

From 1997 Southern Living Annual Recipes

Don't let this picture keep you from making this dish...I could not make it photograph well, but it was ridiculously delicious!

The oddest part of this recipe when I first read it was the pecans...and I still can't figure them out. You can't pick up their taste or the texture in this dish.

That said, it was soooo good. It was creamy, cheesy, and "taco" spicy (almost like it had meat in it). Next time, I think I'll add pickled jalapeno slices on top at the end, for color, texture, and a little extra kick.

This is a fantastic football party dip...it's great hot or room temp. The dish was cleaned out in no time!

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted
Pinch of salt
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
2 to 3 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup (1.3 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup picante sauce


Bake pecans in a shallow pan at 275°, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes or until toasted. Stir in butter, and sprinkle with salt.

Stir together cream cheese and next 4 ingredients; stir in pecans, and spoon into an 8-inch square baking dish.

Bake, covered, at 375° for 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with crackers or corn chips.

70. Hot Roast Beef Party Sandwiches

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

So...I could picture the type of rolls that this recipe called for, but neither of the two stores by my house had them. But, I knew it was important that the rolls be "connected," so I just used Sister Schubert rolls that I thawed.

These rolls had EVERYTHING going on...salty from the roast beef, sweet from the preserves, crunchy from the nuts, and creamy from the mayo/mustard.

They don't photograph that "pretty," and they're a little messy...but they're absolutely delicious!

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 (9.25-oz.) packages dinner rolls
2/3 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup mustard-mayonnaise blend
3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef, chopped
1/2 pound thinly sliced Havarti cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)


Heat walnuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly toasted.


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 beef and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Cover with top halves of rolls, preserves sides down, and wrap in aluminum foil.


Bake at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice into individual sandwiches.

68. Snappy Reuben Rolls

From 2002 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I felt like having snacks for dinner tonight, so I went through my appetizer file and found this recipe.

I love anything wrapped in crescent rolls...sweet, flaky goodness. This had all of the flavor of a Reuben sandwich in a neat, little package. The sauerkraut-Thousand Island mixture had tons of tang.

I was concerned that the cheese in the filling would melt out during baking and make a mess, but these stayed together nicely. Perfect football food!!

1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (10-ounce) can sauerkraut, drained
2 tablespoons Thousand Island salad dressing
1 teaspoon dry mustard
8 (1/2-ounce) thinly sliced deli corned beef slices
2 Swiss cheese slices, cut into 16 (1/2-inch) strips

Unroll crescent rolls, and separate into 8 triangles. Roll each dough portion into a 7-inch triangle.

Stir together sauerkraut, salad dressing, and mustard. Place 1 corned beef slice across wide side of 1 triangle, folding to fit, if necessary.

Spread 2 tablespoons sauerkraut mixture over corned beef, and top with 2 cheese strips. Roll up, beginning with wide end of triangle. Repeat with remaining triangles, sauerkraut mixture, corned beef, and cheese. Place rolls, point sides down, on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake rolls at 375° for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. 



64. BBQ Chicken Quesadilla Torta

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

For our third game-day recipe, we went a little heartier, for some substance...and this fit that bill. It was incredibly filling!

The combination of barbecue with Mexican ingredients like black beans, cheese, and guacamole seemed a little odd to me, but I was intrigued enough to try it out. (And, I wanted to put my never-used springform pan to a good savory use!)

The flavors really worked well together...and this could easily be a main dish recipe. We were STUFFED!

1/2 pound (about 2 cups) chopped barbecued chicken

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
4 (10-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas
1 cup seeded, diced plum tomatoes (about 2 large)
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
Toppings: sour cream, guacamole

Stir together barbecued chicken, black beans, and 1/2 cup barbecue sauce in a medium bowl.


Place 1 tortilla in a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan, and spread with one-third chicken mixture. Sprinkle with one-third each of tomatoes, green onions, and cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining tortilla, and gently press. Cover pan with aluminum foil.


Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove sides of pan, and cut into wedges. Serve with desired toppings.

63. Cream Cheese-Vegetable Squares

From 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes

Here's the second of three appetizers we made to kick off college football season. I've had this one earmarked for awhile, and I was really excited to try it.

It's a great blend of creamy and crunchy, and the crescent rolls on the bottom were hearty enough for this to be a "pick-up" dish.

The suggestion was to cut these into 20 squares, but we went a little larger. I think they would have been easier to handle and eat cut smaller.

The cream cheese mixture had a delicious flavor, but the spread was almost a little bit too thick. It's a rich combination, so I'm thinking that a thinner layer would work better.

1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 (1-ounce or 1.4-ounce) envelope Ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup broccoli slaw mix*
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded Cheddar cheese

Press crescent roll dough into a 13- x 9-inch baking pan; press perforations to seal.


Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until golden; cool.


Stir together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dressing mix; spread over crust. Sprinkle with broccoli slaw, and top with cheese; gently press into cream cheese mixture. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Cut into squares before serving.

62. Warm-and-Spicy Salsa

From 1999 Southern Living Annual Recipes

One of my favorite parts of football season is having "carpet picnics," a la Pretty Woman. I love making a meal out of a bunch of appetizers.

So, for the kick-off Saturday, my friend Jenny and I cooked up a bunch of nibbles, starting with this recipe. Two more to come...

We went to the store on game day, and the Rotel section had taken a pretty good hit, so we had to get the Mexican variety. It kicked this salsa up big time!

There's a lot of acid in this dish, particularly from the vinegar, so it's not for the faint of heart, but I loved the slight crunch of the onions and celery. A warm salsa was new to me, and I really liked the variation.

1 cup white vinegar

1 large onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
3 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat; add tomatoes and green chiles and remaining ingredients. Return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

51. Buttery Dijon Deviled Eggs

 

From 2005 Southern Living Annual Recipes

While I'm a huge fan of deviled eggs, I've never actually made them myself...which is a Southern food crime.

So, when my friend Jenny said she wanted to learn how to poach eggs and make Giada's Eggs Florentine, we decided to make it an "egg night" and knock out two dishes.

These were rich and creamy, with the butter and Dijon, but I thought this dish needed more texture/crunch. I think I prefer the standard mayo-mustard-dill pickle relish recipe...but I'm glad I finally knocked this classic off my "to-make" list!

(By the way, the Eggs Florentine were DIVINE!)

1 dozen large eggs, hard-cooked and peeled1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Salt to taste
Ground white pepper to taste
Paprika (optional)

Cut eggs in half lengthwise; carefully remove yolks. Mash yolks; stir in butter and next 4 ingredients. Stir in salt and white pepper to taste. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture evenly into egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until ready to serve.

49. Spicy Queso Dip

From 2008 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I didn't cook much in college, but one of my game-day staples was Rotel dip (along with pigs in a blanket and frozen mini quiches).

Here's a grown-up version, adding sausage, black beans, and spinach to the typical Rotel tomatoes and cheese. It's hearty and spicy, packed with meat and veggies to take it to the next level.

This definitely will be part of my rotation this fall...just easily prepare and leave in the crockpot for football game snacking.

1 (16-ounce) package spicy ground pork sausage
2 (16-ounce) cartons refrigerated hot queso dip
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained


Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.


Meanwhile, heat queso dip according to package directions in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl. Stir in sausage, spinach, and beans. Add tomatoes and stir until thoroughly combined. Serve hot with tortilla chips.

48. Corn, Avocado, and Black Bean Salsa

   

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

If my dad ever decided to change careers, he'd make a great sous chef, as he loves to prep/chop food. When I arrived with the ingredients for this recipe for our family cookout today, he had started dicing the jalapeno before I had even unloaded my bags. Working alongside my father in the kitchen as we prepared this dish was the best way to spend Father's Day.

And, this salsa was gobbled up. The simplicity let each ingredient really shine. The avocados gave it a creamy texture, while the lime juice delivered a fresh, bright flavor and the spices brought a little kick. And, the fact that it was low-fat made my sister a big fan.

2 medium-size ripe avocados, cubed
1 (15.5-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/4-oz.) can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Gently stir together all ingredients in a large bowl. This can be made up to four hours in advance of serving.

40. Artichoke-Cheese Spread

From 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes

This was my other contribution to today's cookout...and it was my kind of appetizer. It was easy to put together, could be assembled ahead of time, had a pretty presentation, and tasted great. It was incredibly addictive!

The ground red pepper in the cheesy artichoke mixture gave it some kick, tempered by the cream cheese. I walked away from this for about 15 minutes, and it was half gone when I came back through the kitchen. I'd count that as a success!

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion tops (I omitted)
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
3/4 cup bottled roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped

Stir together cream cheese and green onions, blending well. Set aside.

Stir together artichoke hearts and next 5 ingredients.

Spread one-third of cream cheese mixture on bottom of a 4-cup glass bowl lined with plastic wrap. Layer with half of both chopped peppers and artichoke mixture. Repeat, ending with final third of cream cheese. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

Invert onto a serving plate and remove plastic wrap.