On New Years Day,  my friends and I decided that instead of a big New Years Day dinner, we just wanted to do appetizers all day.   We love playing games so sometimes like to have all day game tournaments (with games such as Clue,  Apples to Apples, Catch Phrase, What’s Yours Like, Uno, Jenga,  Scattergories, Guesstures, and Boggle… We have a large game shelf!).

The appetizers we decided to make were Pigs in a Blanket, Layered Taco Dip, and Buffalo dip.  Yes, I know- these are very simple appetizer recipes that you have all probably made.  We planned it that way because we all went out in the City for New Years Eve (open bar from 9-2am, if you know what I mean) and wanted something fun and tasty that we wouldn’t be spending the whole day in the kitchen preparing.

Lets start with the Taco Dip.   This is a recipe that my family has been making for years,  I am pretty sure it is the classic 80’s layered taco dip.   I know there are many versions of this dip often called 7 layer taco dip or such and such layered taco dip.   I don’t like when there are too many layers with the beans and the meat and the olives.   I love, love, love the simple version.  You want to know what recipe is?  Well keep reading because I am going to give you my families take on the dip (we didn’t make this recipe up,  I am sure many of you have the same recipe)

Layered Taco Dip

Ingredients

8 oz. block of light cream cheese

1 cup of light sour cream

1 packet of Taco Seasoning (such as Old Ol Paso or Ortega’s-  both found in the Hispanic section of the grocery store or where you would get the taco shells)

1 jar of salsa (my go to salsa is Tostito’s medium salsa, but you can use whatever salsa you love,  if you don’t like the chucks of tomatoes you can use a jar of taco sauce which is basically salsa without the chucks)

Shredded iceberg lettuce

2 small  or 1 large tomatoes chopped

Shredded Light Cheese (I used Sargentos Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Mexican blend)

The first step it to get the cream cheese block at room temperature.  Once the cream cheese is softened,  combine with sour cream and taco seasoning until smooth.   Spread the mixture out onto a 9×13 inch pan evenly. Saran Wrap the 9×13 inch pan and let it set by refrigerating it for an hour.

After an hour or right before you are ready to serve it, spread the jar of salsa evenly over the top of the cream cheese/ sour cream  mixture.  Next put the shredded iceberg lettuce on top (you can use as much as you want,  I put on about 1 1/2 – 2 cups),  followed by the chopped tomatoes.  Finally you sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of everything until it looks pretty covered (about 1 1/2 cups also).   Now the dip is all ready to be served with tortilla chips!  MMMmmmmm!

You are probably wondering about the other recipes.   Pigs in a Blanket are very simple!  It basically cut up hot dogs or cocktail wieners wrapped it part of a crescent roll.   We buy regular hot dogs and cut them up into thirds of fourths because they taste better than cocktail wieners. Then we take the crescent roll dough and unroll it,  the pre-cut triangles in the dough are is cut in half,  and we wrap each dough piece with a piece of hot dog in the middle (it like rolling a small crescent roll around a hot dog).   To cook them you follow the recipe on the crescent roll recipe, until the crescent rolls are golden brown.   Once they are ready you can serve them with mustard of ketchup!  Yumm!

Next we made Buffalo Chicken Dip. I had never made this dip before but I have had it at Superbowl parties before.   After finding the recipe online, we decided to make it without the chicken (we have had it both ways before).  It was good and everyone really liked it.   If I were to make it again I would try it with the chicken and use the mozzarella instead of the crumbly blue.  I love blue cheese but if think the mozzarella would make it more creamy and less blue cheese tangy.  We served it hot with tortilla chips,  but you can also serve with cut up veggies and crackers. Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think!

All of these recipes were very easy to make,  and even easier with helping hands in the kitchen.  If you are having a party or a Superbowl party these would all be classic great ideas!

Enjoy!

-Sister K