Seven Layer Dip... Always A Crowd Pleaser

This last weekend I was invited to the annual Desert Duffer Gals Christmas Pajama Party & Gift Exchange, for which we are required to bring our best dish. So, I took Seven Layer Dip, which everyone loves. This is my group of gal pals that makes up our golf tournament club, including our husbands. However, the guys aren't invited to this soiree.




Everyone wears PJ's, brings a gift worth $25.00 or less, and stealing of said gifts is allowed, to a limit. The food is always to die for and we have always have Mimosas as well as whatever other libations are presented to us.




So, I decided to make Seven Layer Dip this year and it was a huge hit. I barely had any left for bringing home to the hubby. Hope you're excited because here it is:




Seven Layer Dip:



Ingredients:



1 (1 ounce) package of taco seasoning


1 (16 ounce can) refried beans

1 (16 ounce) container of light sour cream


1 (16 ounce) container salsa


1 large tomato, chopped


2 bunches of green onions, finely chopped


2 packages of ready made guacamole


2 cups of Monterrey Jack & cheddar cheese, grated


1 (6 ounce) can of chopped black olives

1. Begin by blending the salsa with the refried beans. Spread on dish for the bottom layer.


2. Blend taco seasoning in with sour cream.

3. Spread sour cream mixture over refried beans.


4. Spread guacamole over sour cream mixture.

5. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes over dish.

7. Sprinkle green onions over dish.


8. Next, add the cheese mixture.


9. Sprinkle the chopped black olives over the entire dish, evenly.




Serve with sturdy corn chips or tostados.

Sit back and bask in the light of all the compliments you'll receive.

.....

Santa Fe Green Chili Appetizer Cheesecake... My Absolute Best Hors d'oeuvre

I wanted to be sure and get this posted before the holidays so that you can try this on friends and  family. Believe me, they will thank you for it. You can make one large cheesecake or two small cheesecakes, but you're on your own for topping adjustments. I tend to go overboard.



I've always been a stay-at-home mom by choice but back in the days when the kids were growing up, I was always looking for ways to make a little extra cash on the side. When I first found this recipe I fell for it instantly and would make one for every party we had. Our friends went as nuts over it as did I, and soon people began asking me to make one for this or that function and somehow, it turned into a small business. During the holidays I would get so busy that I'd have to make these around the clock. It was a good thing I had double ovens, but I could have used at least five.


Please ignore the position of the pictures, as they ARE in order. I just didn't have enough room to add them all through the recipe portion.

Anyway, I made enough money selling my cheesecakes to send both kids to camp every summer for two weeks, so it worked out to be a great deal. Eventually, I grew so tired of making the appetizer cheesecakes that I completely stopped making them. Honestly, just the thought of making another one seriously made nauseous. I make several others I feel the same about as well. I'll get to those at a later date.



So, fast forward to the present (15 years later) and I suppose it had been a long enough hiatus from cheesecake making, that I almost missed making them. Last night our best friends were having a cocktail party so I offered to make one and of course, they accepted with enthusiasm. Now that I've made one again, I can't believe I used to crank out something like 10 to 15 per day. However, when eating it again, I realized how much I've missed it. It's as amazing as it is festive.



This cheesecake is so delicious and always proves to wow the crowd. It's been tweaked so many times from the original recipe that I have the right to now call it mine, so I'm going to share it with all of you now.



Santa Fe Green Chili Appetizer Cheesecake:


Ingredients For Cheesecake:

Crust:


1 cup of crushed tortilla chips

3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter (a bit more, if needed)

Filling:

1 cup of cottage cheese

4 eggs

3 8-oz. packages of lite cream cheese, softened

2 small cans of Hatch (or other chile) chiles

2 large jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 teaspoons Mexican cumino (ground)

20 ounces of sharp grated cheddar cheese


First Topping:

1 8-ounce container of sour cream

1 8-ounce container of cheddar-jalapeno dip (I use the Frito Lay brand)



Final Topping:

1 8-ounce container of sour cream

2-3 fresh tomatoes, diced

2 bunches of green onions, chopped

2 small cans of sliced black olives


Directions:

Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place crushed tortilla chips in a bowl and drizzle the melted butter over the chips. Toss well to coat all. Press the mixture into the bottom of spring-form cheesecake pan, place in middle of oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.


2. Remove from oven and set aside. After it cools, place in fridge so the butter can harden the mixture that will be the crust.



Filling:

1. In a food processor, process the cottage cheese until smooth and creamy.


2. Next, add all four eggs, one at time, to the processor.


3. Add each of the three packages of cream cheese, one at a time, processing in between each addition.

4. Once it is all combined to a creamy smooth consistency, add the 20 ounces of grated sharp cheddar cheese. Process for a couple of minutes, or until cheese is nicely combined and almost smooth.


5. Last of all, add the chopped jalapenos and the cumino. Process until combined.


6. Take cheesecake pan out of fridge. Very carefully pour the mixture from the bowl of the processor, being careful to remove the steel blade first, since you don't want it to go splat in the middle of your lovely masterpiece.


7. To keep the weight of the filling from from disturbing the crust, I pour the mixture onto a rubber spatula, allowing it to drip slowly off that.

8. Place cheesecake in the center of the oven and bake for one  hour, or until it's just a little wobbly. You don't want it fully cooked yet.


9. While the cheesecake is baking, you can whisk together the 8-oz. containers of sour cream and cheddar-jalapeno dip until thoroughly blended. Place in the fridge until the cheesecake comes out of the oven.


10. When the hour is up, remove the cheesecake from the oven and top with the refrigerated sour cream and cheese mixture and return it to the oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.


11. When you take the cheesecake out of the oven make sure that you can place it in a draft free area, allowing it to cool slowly. When cooled, wrap with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 10 to 12 hours. It can also be frozen for up to 2 weeks at this point.


12. After allowing the cake to chill, top the cheesecake with the 8 ounce container of sour cream, like frosting on a cake.


13. For the rest of the topping, sprinkle the chopped tomatoes first, chopped green onions second, and then add the sliced black olives. Serve on sturdy tortilla chips (Doritos won't be able to support it. You need a good thick tortilla chip.)



IMPORTANT NOTE: This is seldom, if ever, served like a normal cheesecake, although I've known some people to serve small slices of it on a salad plate with tortilla chips. The object is to use a knife to take a small slice and place on the tortilla chip (be sure to use thick, sturdy chips), being sure to get a bit of the topping as well. (Sorry, I forgot to photograph once we arrived at the party.)

I hope you enjoy it! I know your guests will...




I also meant to add that the cheesecake can be frozen for up to two weeks (without sour cream and toppings) and it will also accommodate two small cheesecake pans.

Day One... My First Cooking Blog

I've been cooking roughly since I was a child. I didn't always like to cook, but it was a necessity to stay alive, so I did it.


Even when I had my own children, I wasn't in the least bit thrilled about making baby food or fish sticks. So, it really wasn't until the kids were teenagers that I began to enjoy cooking. It was gradual at first, but by the time both kids were gone & living on their own, I was starting a new relationship with cooking that involved nothing but love.


We have three very close *couple friends* who are also enthusiastic about gourmet cooking and the art of fine dining. Once a month, one of us would have dinner for the group and often we'd eat outside, if the weather allowed. Each of us wanted to wow the others and it was always fun to see what everyone would come up with. Oh, the fabulous meals we had!


Whoever was doing all the cooking, did so on their own and the other couples would select outstanding wines to bring. Believe me, we have had some amazing wines with our meals. One night, when I had made Bloody Mary Steaks w/ Sun Dried Tomato & Horseradish Butter, one friend brought several bottles of Vampire wine. I think it was a Cabernet, but not for certain. It was the perfect accompaniment to the steaks. I will put that recipe up for you sometime in the near future and you will love it. As we've all gotten older, two of the three couples spend half the year at their second homes and the other half here, so we aren't able to have dinners like we used to, which is sad.


Mr. Snooty has started cooking as well, which has added an entirely new twist to our lives, but I'm loving it! I'm not sure that he will ever let me photograph him cooking, but I promise you I will get you his recipe for pan-fried steak. It's the best flavor ever.


So, let's get started with today's recipe, shall we? This is one of my all-time favorite appetizer recipes.


Feta Confetti or Feta Relish:

1 Large Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Large Yellow Bell Pepper, diced
1 Large Orange Bell Pepper, diced
1 Large Red Onion, diced
1 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, finely chopped
4 Fresh Cloves Garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons of Garlic Flavored Olive Oil (or plain can be used)
10 Ounces of Crumbled Feta Cheese
Salt & Pepper, to taste

1. Finely dice all the bell peppers, the onion, the garlic, and the cilantro and combine in a bowl.









2. Add olive oil and stir, making sure the mixture is well coated.















3. Add Feta last, stirring in the bell pepper mixture carefully, so as to not liquefy cheese.


4. Add salt & pepper, to taste.




5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and serve with crackers.

This recipe can also be used as a topping for on fish or chicken as well as using it tossed into pasta. It could also be used as a stuffing for various meats and vegetables. Goat cheese could also be used. (Yuck! But, it's okay if someone else uses it, as long as I'm not invited.)