Beef Bread Bowl Dip

I recently bought a Junior League cookbook "Add Another Place Setting" and in it they had a Beef Bread Bowl Dip and I tried it for my Premier Jewelry Party, and everyone ate it up.

Here is the recipe:
2 oz jar dried beef, chopped
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 round loaf Hawaiian bread or sourdough bread

Combine the beef, cream cheese, sour cream, green chilies, and cheese in a bowl and mix well. Cut the top of the bread and reserve. Hollow out the bread to make a bowl, reserving the bread chunks. Spoon the beef mixture in the bread bowl and replace the top. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Serve the reserved bread with the dip.

It was pretty easy to make up the night before and cover it in a bowl. The following day of the party, I threw it in the bread bowl and baked it!

I hope you enjoy it, and this is the cookbook it came from! If you don't have one, you should get one!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I made the meatballs for my small group to have as an appetizer. They are pretty good to serve like this and sometimes I serve them with sliced french bread pieces. I make just the meatball portion of this recipe and grab a jar of my favorite canned sauce to serve over them. I have gotten lots of rave reviews (even though it is the quick and easy way to make them). I usually make them the night before, and drain the grease, and put them back in the serving dish, pour the sauce over them, and all I have to do is pop them back in the oven until they are warm and ready to serve.

It is well worth it to make the sauce for a dinner for a special someone!

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti (or any other noodle you prefer)
• Salt, for pasta water

Meatballs:

• 1 1/4 pounds ground hamburger meat
• 2 teaspoons worcestershire, eyeball it
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (this has to be fresh for the best)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (we love garlic in this household)
• Salt and pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• A tablespoon of basil (you could also use fresh, but I rarely have it on hand)
• A tablespoon of sugar to sweeten the sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to aldente.

Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.

Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.

Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread. Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Appetizer

Why recreate the wheel when one of my favorite people have already done a fantastic job at it. I love to make these. I didn't get the recipe from her, I think someone at work gave it to me. It requires three ingredients and even the men can make them. Actually, the man of our house does make them because I have had bad experiences with fresh jalapenoes on my hand, so it is Denver's duty to make them. When we get together with friends, you can also count on my best friend, Tanner whipping up a batch (or three) since they are so easy! When asking him what he wanted for our small group fellowship, he said he could make these. For one, it is another easy thing to prep ahead of time, and they always go over well in a group, even the ones who say they don't like spicy things. The seeds come out and that is where the majority of the heat is at.

So I borrowed this post from the Pioneer Woman becuase she is fantastic, and I wouldn't ever take the time to take all the amazing pictures like she does. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
• 2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

Preparation Instructions

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

You’ll love these so much, you’re gonna come out of your skin. Or something like that.