There are plenty of reasons to make appetizers and party food this time of year. Whether you are gathering around the T.V. with friends to watch football or hosting a holiday party at your home, hand-held snacks are the name of the game. I’m sure some of your go-to appetizers are delicious, but be prepared to knock some off of your list (and table) to make room for this Rosemary Asiago Pull-Apart Bread.
This cheesy, buttery pull-apart bread is out-of-this-world delicious but there are few things to keep in mind before taste testing.
Make sure you are working with crusty bread. Fluffy, airy bread is difficult to cut for pull-apart purposes, so make sure you buy a dense loaf for slicing. Once you’ve picked out your perfect loaf, try this trick for cutting the bread.
Place the bread on your kitchen counter between two cutting boards (it helps if they are the same thickness). Place a damp paper towel under each cutting board to keep them from slipping while you slice the bread. Then cut 1 inch slices diagonally across the bread, from end to end. Your knife will stop once it hits the cutting board, ensuring that you aren’t cutting all the way through, leaving the bottom in tact. Cut 1 inch slices diagonally in the opposite direction to form diamonds in the bread. These cuts are what make the bread easy to pull apart.
With a generous portion of shredded cheese and butter added, wrap the pull-apart bread in aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the bread is golden brown and crisp on the top.
When you’re at the grocery store, be sure to grab some extra napkins and maybe (definitely) a second loaf of bread – your first attempt won’t last long. Thank your go-to appetizer recipes for their service and welcome this party-perfect pull-apart bread into your savory snack circuit.
Using a bread knife, slice top of bread into 1/2-inch diamond cuts. (See tip below.) Set aside.
In a food chopper, blend butter, rosemary, garlic and salt. With a small spatula, spread butter inside each of the slices of bread.
Fill bread cuts with shredded cheese.
Spread remaining butter over top of bread. Wrap in aluminum foil
Bake until cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
To slice bread without cutting all the way through, place the bread on the counter between two cutting boards of the same thickness, about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Place a damp paper towel under the cutting boards to keep them from slipping. Cut 1 inch slices diagonally across bread from end to end. Your knife will stop at the cutting board to ensure that you do not cut completely through the bread, leaving the bottom intact. Cut 1 inch slices diagonally in the opposite direction to form diamonds.
Summertime is party time. Whether you’re hosting a Labour Day barbecue for extended family or are inviting all the kids’ friends over to celebrate an endless summer, we all have a full calendar this time of year. When planning for summer soirees, make sure you put homemade deviled eggs on the menu. Deviled eggs are always a crowd pleaser. Whether you are making your grandmother’s no-frills recipe or adding mix-ins like bacon, jalapeños, or smoked salmon, this egg-cellent app will fly off the table.
Pimento cheese is good on (or in) just about everything – and deviled eggs are no exception. In the United States, it’s not surprising to see this delicious spread mixed into egg yolks for a cheesy twist on the standard deviled egg. Top them with crispy, crumbled bacon and a little fresh dill for a next-level appetizer.
If you already have plenty of avocados in your kitchen for avocado toast and smoothies, try adding them to your deviled eggs. Top each avocado deviled egg – or Green Devil as they are sometimes called – with salsa and a sprig of cilantro. Serve them on Cinco de Mayo, gameday, or at summer potlucks.
Dill Pickle Deviled Eggs
If you’re a pickle lover then this recipe is for you. Have you ever added sweet relish to your deviled eggs? Try adding tangy dill pickles instead and see which version you like more. We topped these dill pickle deviled eggs with even more pickles (we found that baby dills work best for garnishing purposes), for a tangy treat that belongs on the buffet table year round.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” holds true for this classic deviled egg recipe. You’ll find this creamy, protein-packed appetizer on Easter Sunday tables, at backyard barbecues, and family reunions alike. Use your Hamilton Beach® food processor and egg cooker to perfect this go-to appetizer.
Slow cooker chili mac combines two of your favourite dinners into one satisfying meal. Does your family celebrate Taco Tuesday every week? Do the kids always request pasta nights? Slow cooker chili mac (also known as taco pasta) gives you the best of both worlds. And it couldn’t be easier to make in your Hamilton Beach® slow cooker.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add a pound of ground turkey (you could substitute ground beef if you prefer) to the skillet and saute until browned.
Add the meat mixture to the slow cooker crock with the remaining ingredients – 2 cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of kidney beans, an additional can of green chiles, chili seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
Cover the slow cooker crock and cook on HIGH for 3 ½ to 4 hours or on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. When the meat sauce is finished cooking, stir in a pound of cooked pasta and some cheese (feel free to be very generous with this step). Let the cheese melt a little before serving.
Slow cooker chili mac is a hearty meal complete with pasta, beans, meat and cheese – what more could you want? This big bowl of pasta swaps out marinara for a flavorful sauce packed full of your favourite Mexican flavours. While this dish is delicious served directly from the slow cooker, we took the liberty of adding some (OK, a lot) of our favourite taco and chili toppings. Fresh jalapenos, sour cream, hot sauce, even more cheese. Put a few of your a favourite mix-ins on the table and let everyone customize a bowls to their liking.
Serve chili mac for family dinner any night of the week or at your Cinco de Mayo party alongside a build-your-own margarita bar. Your guests will undoubtedly enjoy customizing their dinner and drinks.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil.
Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in ground turkey, cooking until browned, about 6 minutes. Drain fat if necessary.
Add meat mixture to slow cooker crock with tomatoes and chilies, crushed tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, green chilies, chili seasoning, salt and black pepper.
Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
Stir in cooked pasta and 1 cup shredded cheese before serving. Let stand on WARM for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, if desired.
There so much to love about macaroni and cheese. Not only is it a delicious, no frills dish, it’s easily customizable to fit your mood or the occasion. Need to make sure the kids are eating their vegetables? Mix in steamed broccoli. Want to upgrade it for a summer potluck? Stir in your best pulled pork bbq and top with extra barbecue sauce. No matter what you stir in or add on top, macaroni and cheese is always a crowd pleaser.
For this recipe, we mixed in leftover Easter ham and spring peas. If you’re making a spiral ham for Easter dinner, cube the leftovers and store in the fridge. It will be there to grab when you need to make a quick dinner during the week.
Cook elbow macaroni in chicken broth until it absorbs most of it. The broth adds a depth of flavor beyond what you would get from boiling in water. Then add three cups of cheddar cheese, ham, half and half, frozen peas (or leftover peas if they were also on your Easter table), brown mustard and black pepper. Stir until the mixture is well blended and creamy.
Transfer into a baking dish and top with – that’s right – even more cheddar cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake the mac and cheese for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through.
The peas add a pop of spring green in the sea of cheese while the cubes of ham are a salty surprise. This easy mac and cheese recipe is great for ridding your fridge of Easter leftovers (and tricking the kids into eating peas). It’s also a great go-to recipe for busy weeknights. You could substitute leftover Easter ham for the deli ham you keep in the fridge. Serve ham and pea mac and cheese as a standalone dinner or as a side dish alongside other spring staples.
Need to throw together a quick dinner after a hectic work day? What about a filling after-school snack for the kids? Have 10 hungry football fans at your house? Nachos are the answer. Nachos are always the answer.
If you’ve been on Pinterest or read a food magazine recently, you have probably seen a sheet pan supper or two. We love the idea of throwing ingredients on one pan, letting everything cook together, and having dinner ready in no time – with minimal clean up. These chicken nachos are another sheet pan supper that won’t disappoint.
Heat your Easy Reach® Toaster Oven to 350 degrees, then line your oven pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange your favorite tortilla chips (the sturdier the better) in an even layer on the pan and prepare to pile toppings high. We mixed shredded chicken, homemade salsa (use store-bought if you want to save a little time), black beans, and cheese together and spooned the mixture onto the chips. Top with even more cheese (obviously) and jalapeños if you like your nachos spicy and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
We served these nachos with extra homemade salsa and guacamole but customize them to your liking. Substitute ground beef or steak for the shredded chicken or add sour cream and hot sauce on top. If you’re feeding a crowd, use your regular oven and a cookie sheet and double or triple the recipe.
Whether you place the sheet pan in the middle of the dinner table to easily feed the family or put it on the coffee table while friends watch the game, these nachos won’t last long.
