appetizer

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño, and Bacon

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NaturallyCheesy #CollectiveBias

Welcome November! Here in NC we welcomed November with some mild temperatures and rain. The weather here has actually been so mild that my pepper plants in my garden are still producing like crazy. It’s a good thing that we like spicy food around here because i’ve been adding them to everything that I think they would be tasty in.  I have been thinking of some different ways to use them and remembered when I made Jalapeño Cheddar Beer Bread in the past and I thought to myself why not cornbread. All of the flavors go together really well so why not and to kick it up a notch I added bacon too. Cornbread with Kraft Natural Cheddar Cheese, jalapeño and bacon, what is there not to like? Sounds like the perfect comfort food mix to me!

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

I headed up the road to Walmart and picked up some yummy Kraft Natural Cheddar Cheese then hurried home to start creating.

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon

I went to my garden and picked a couple peppers and got to work and created Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon. The recipe was pretty simple. It was a mix of different recipes I have used in the past. I used both cornmeal and corn in this cornbread and incorporated in the jalapeño, bacon and Kraft Natural Cheddar Cheese creating some delicious muffins.

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

 

To start I mixed my dry and wet ingredients together and then I incorporated in the corn, jalapeños,bacon, and Kraft Natural Cheddar Cheese.

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

Once well combined I filled a well greased muffin tin and filled the cups 2/3-3/4 full.

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

I then baked the muffins in a preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes.

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

They looked beautiful! I couldn’t wait to try them but I let them cool down a bit before we dug in.

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

The muffins were a huge hit with my family and I can’t wait to make them again for my parents and sister when they come down for one of our monthly family meals. I think they will love them as much as my husband and kids do. I am thinking that I just may have to add these cornbread muffins to my holiday dinner menus they were so good! The muffins are also the perfect side for all the super yummy soups and stews that are made in the cooler months. The combination of yummy cornbread mixed with bacon and cheesy Kraft Natural Cheddar Cheese and the heat of Jalapeño makes these muffins a yummy comfort food must have.

What is your favorite cheesy recipe? Looking for more Cheesy inspiration take a look HERE

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon | Country Girl Gourmet

Cornbread Muffins with Cheddar, Jalapeño and Bacon
 
Author:
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • ½ Cup Cornmeal
  • ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1 Egg
  • ¼ Cup Sour Cream
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine, melted
  • 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Cup Corn (Fresh, Canned or Thawed Frozen)
  • ½ Cup Bacon, Chopped into Pieces
  • 1-2 Jalapeños, Seeded if desired and diced
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. In a bowl combine dry ingredients- Cornmeal, Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, and Onion Powder
  3. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients- Egg, Sour Cream, Milk, and melted Butter.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined. Next add in Cheddar Cheese, Corn, Bacon and Jalapeño and incorporate well.
  5. Place cornbread batter in greased muffin pan, filling cups ⅔-3/4 full.
  6. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until done.

 

#ad Tyson® Chicken Nuggets, State Fair® Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TysonMovieOffer #CollectiveBias

One of the many traditions my family has is our Friday night, Family Fun Night. On Friday nights we watch a movie and eat fun food. We do a lot of pizza but not far behind is corn dogs and chicken nuggets. I am pretty sure it is my kids favorite night of the week.  This week i’m excited because i’m setting the DVR up to record a halloween classic, It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, so we can watch on Friday. I just turned 38 last week and I can say that I have watched it every single year. How can you not watch this 1966 classic?!?!  Heck in 1981 I even dressed up as Sally for Halloween.
#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet
I love the entire Peanuts gang and I have happily have passed this love onto my kid’s. One of things we are all looking forward to is The Peanuts Movie. I seriously cannot wait for it to come out!  Being a family of 6 going to the movies is expensive though but I have found a great way to save on tickets. Right now if you go to Walmart and buy ANY TWO (2) specially marked packages of Tyson® Chicken Products or State Fair® Corn Dogs and you can up to $9.00 toward one child admission to see The Peanuts Movie Only in Theaters. How awesome is that! Yes, please!

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet

Tyson® Chicken Nuggets and State Fair® Corn Dogs are family fun night favorites around here so, I picked up some of both for some protein powered snacking! The movie offer is such an awesome bonus.

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet

When eating corn dogs and chicken nuggets my kids do not ever eat them plain. You have to have a dip. Dipping sauces are like cheese and make things even better. Favorite dips in our house are usually honey mustard,ranch and spicy ranch and there is always plenty of back in forth among themselves about what dip they want to use. So I started thinking what if I came up with a spicy honey mustard? So pulled out my food processor and got to work and created a Chipotle Honey Mustard. It is my kid’s new favorite when it comes to dipping sauces.  Chipotle Honey Mustard is both sweet and spicy and makes your tastebuds want more!

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet

Creating the sauce was simple. It has 6 basic ingredients, Mayo, Yellow Mustard, Dijon Mustard, Honey, Garlic and Chipotle Peppers.


#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet Step One: Add all your ingredients to a food processor or blender. During this part you can decide how spicy you want things. I added one pepper to our sauce and it turned out perfect for us.

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet

Step 2: Blend until well combined
#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet

Step 3: Place in a jar or bottle and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using. During this step your sauce will thicken up.

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl GourmetStep 5: Make your favorite Tyson® Chicken Products or State Fair® Corn Dogs for some protein powered snacking and start dipping!

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl GourmetMy kids are all set now with some great family fun night snacks and their new favorite Chipotle Honey Mustard to dip everything in. Then I’m over here smiling because I get a ticket for them to go see The Peanuts Movie. Can you say win-win? I can’t wait to surprise my kiddos with a special treat by going to see the movie in the theater!

Do you have a house full of Chicken Nugget and Corn Dog monsters like I do? What is their favorite dip? Check out Tyson® for more meal ideas and recipes.

#ad Tyson Nuggets, State Fair Corn Dogs, Chipotle Honey Mustard & the Peanuts Movie |Country Girl Gourmet

Chipotle Honey Mustard
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • ⅔ Cup Mayonaise
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
  • ¼ Cup Honey
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotle peppers)
  • 1-2 Chipotle Peppers (canned)
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender.
  2. Blend until well combined.
  3. Pour sauce into a jar or bottle and refrigerate 2 hours before using.


Easy Chorizo and Cheese Taquitos with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream

A couple weeks ago I woke up way too early in the morning to set off on an adventure to New York City for some Allrecipes and foodie fun. I met up with my friend Stella from Stella Reynoso in Charlotte and we flew to Newark and took the train into the city. We navigated the Subway system and found our way to our hotel. From there we went to lunch at Butter, Alex Guarnaschelli’s restaurant  and I ate the best Cesar salad I have ever had. It was beautiful! I think I must have looked like Emma Stone in in Easy A biting into the steak.

It was seriously that good. I haven’t had steak that good since we left Texas. After our late lunch we hung out at our hotel room until it was time to go to our first Allrecipes event. We were headed to Salvation Taco for an Allrecipes Allstars cocktail party. Chips and guacamole were set out around the room and we were offered drinks almost as soon as we walked into the room. Let me tell you, those margaritas were good and strong and the chili lime salt rim was a great extra touch! I would have loved to have a second glass but as soon as I would get one I would set it down and someone would snatch it.  We had fun in the photo booth and chit chatting getting to know each other outside of the computer.

During the party appetizers were offered and they were great. The servers were awesome and made sure I didn’t touch anything with gluten. One of my favorite things were the chorizo taquitos. After eating my first one I pulled out my phone and opened up the notes…I needed to recreate those taquitos and here a few weeks later I finally have.

Easy Chorizo and Cheese Taquitos | Country Girl Gourmet

The key to this recipe is the chorizo. You want good chorizo. I’ve told people a million times over quality will always win. This rule goes for so many things in life too, not just food. Yes you can buy cheaper ingredients when it comes to cooking but the quality of your food will be affected! Just buy the good stuff! Then make these chorizo and cheese taquitos. If your family is anything like mine they will devour them.

Easy Chorizo and Cheese Taquitos | Country Girl Gourmet

Want to see more from my adventures in New York City? Check out my Instagram for my pics from the trip!

5.0 from 2 reviews
Easy Chorizo and Cheese Taquitos with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Chorizo, casing removed
  • 1 cup shredded Chihuahua or Monterey Jack Cheese
  • 12-15 corn tortillas
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • juice of ½ of a lime
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • sea salt
Instructions
  1. Taquitos-
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  3. Spray frying pan with cooking spray and cook chorizo until done. Be sure to crumble into small pieces. When done drain grease well (I used a colander)
  4. In a bowl mix together 1 cup of Chihuahua Cheese (or Monterey Jack) and cooked chorizo. Combine well breaking up any large chunks of chorizo.
  5. Place corn tortillas on a plate with the tortillas covered with a damp paper towel.Warm corn tortillas in a microwave for 30 seconds to one minute.
  6. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons filling on the side of each tortilla. Lightly dampen other side of tortilla with water with your fingers. Roll tortilla tightly around the filling and place, seam-side down, on a baking sheet. You can hold in place with a tooth pick if needed.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned and crispy, about 15-20 minutes.
  8. Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
  9. In a small bowl combine sour cream, chopped cilantro,the juice of half a lime and a dash of sea salt. Stir well and serve..

 

 

New York City Lox and Schmear Bagel in a Bite

A few years ago the Army decided that my family needed to live in New Jersey. Living in New Jersey afforded my family the awesome opportunity of going to New York City on a regular basis.  New York City was just a train ride away. We loved visiting the city and exploring it!

NYC- Time Square

NYC- Battery park

NYC- Empire State Building

One of the best parts of visiting New York City is being able to eat iconic New York City foods. One of my favorite foods from New York City and my time in New Jersey is bagels. There is just something different about New York City bagels. Some say it is the water, others say it is because they are boiled instead of steamed. I don’t really know other than they are delicious and in New York City they are abundant and everyone has their own favorite place to get one. A few weeks ago I was asked to recreate an iconic New York City food for RITZ Crackers and I knew exactly what I needed to make. The classic New York City bagel, a Lox and Schmear Bagel but instead of a bagel I used a Ritz Everything Cracker. Yes, a bagel in a bite!

This recipe is simple. You start with 8oz of softened cream cheese. Next you add capers that you have rinsed to get rid of excess brine and then they are chopped.

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

Next add some diced Sun Dried Tomatoes (not in oil)

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

a couple cloves of minced fresh garlic

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

then some finely diced red onion

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

To this you will then add fresh lemon juice and fresh ground black pepper and sea salt. RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

Mix it up and then you have your schemer!  Let it sit in the refrigerator a hour or so to let all the flavors meld and get happy.
RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

I had to search a few stores for smoked salmon but you are looking for the thin slices of smoked salmon like the pic below.

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

All that is left is for you to thinly slice some cucumber and put together your bites of Lox and Schmear and enjoy!

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear

These bagel inspired crackers are perfect for bringing the taste of New York to your game day parties. The Everything crackers had all the flavors of an everything bagel and go perfectly with the lox and schmear. I know I will definitely be making  my RITZ “Everything” Bites with Lox and Schmear that have all of the flavor of a Lox and Schmear bagel from New York City in a bite for our big game day.

 Bring a taste of New York to your game day parties get the recipe below and try it for yourself!

4.0 from 1 reviews
New York City Lox and Schmear Bagel in a Bite
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 8oz cream cheese, softened
  • 12 sun dried tomatoes (not in oil), diced
  • 1TB capers, rinsed and chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1t fresh lemon juice
  • fresh ground sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cucumber, sliced thin and cut in half
  • Lox or Smoked salmon, cut into bite size pieces (approx. 1.5x1.5 inches)
Instructions
  1. In a bowl combine cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, capers, red onion, garlic and lemon juice. Add fresh ground Sea Salt and Pepper to taste and mix well.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour (or longer) so flavors can meld.
  3. To prepare spread ½ TB schmear on Ritz everything cracker and top with cucumber half and smoked salmon.

 

RITZ "Everything" Bites with Lox and Schmear | Country Girl Gourmet

I participated in a campaign on behalf of RITZ Crackers. I received a sample to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.