Chicken Nachos

Last Thursday while at Costco they had a sample recipe, we tried it, we liked it and I was debating going with my traditional 7 layer bean dip or going with something new. The something new won!

So our menu for tonight includes Lil' Smokies I posted this recipe for last years Super Bowl, Tyson BBQ wings, and quesadilla anytizers (only because I got a smoking deal), veggie tray, and chicken nachos only it will be more like a dip.

Chicken Nachos:
1 large can chicken
1 can refried beans
1 C. salsa
tortilla chips
mexican cheese, shredded

Preheat skillet, drain chicken and empty into skillet. Add refried beans, and salsa, mix together in skillet stirring constantly, until mixture is warmed through.

Serve with chips and cheese.

I am also serving with chopped roma tomato, sliced olives and green onions since I already had them on hand for my 7 layer dip.

Hope everyone has a fun Appetizer Super Bowl Sunday.

Happy Eating!

Pesto Tarts, appetizer

A few weeks ago we had a light dinner at my church, the menu consisted of a variety of appetizers, we had fruit, vegetable, meat, and dessert appetizers. I signed up to bring a vegetable appetizer and I will be honest after signing up I was thinking why the heck did I pick to bring a vegetable appetizer, the only vegetable appetizer I ever make is spinach artichoke dip, which I love, but didn't want to bring. I could come up with multiple things to make for the other 3 categories, so I was off on the search to find a yummy vegetable appetizer, and boy did I find it! These little nummies were so scrumptious that I fed them to my family for dinner to test them out. I left the pesto off of Trena's because she is not a pesto fan, and I left tomatoes off of Ava's because she is not a tomato fan. Ava ate 2 for dinner that night, and 2 again the next day for lunch, she LOVED them. Brent and I both thought that they were great (Katrena didn't, but whats new these days) and I will definitely make these again and again.

I found this fabulous recipe over at Tasty Kitchen (if you haven't checked out this site you totally have too).

Pesto Tarts

• 1 package Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets (2 Sheets), Thawed
• 8 ounces, weight Olive Tapenade Or Pesto
• 1 pound Grape Tomatoes, Each Cut In Half
• 8 ounces, weight Feta Cheese, Crumbled

You thaw the pastry sheets according to package and roll to be 8X8 when thawed ( Then kind that I bought was two 8x8 sheets, perfect). You then cut each sheet into 16 equal squares.

You then place one square in each circle of a muffin tin.

Top each pastry square with 1 teaspoon of pesto.

Next you put 3-4 tomato halves on the pesto.

Lastly you sprinkle with feta cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until pastry is puffed and lightly browned. Remove to cooling rack. If you use a silicone muffin pan it takes about 18 min, if using a metal muffin pan cook for about 15 min. The recipe says to spray a metal pan before first batch, but that the appetizer puts off enough oil for subsequent batches.

Enjoy. These taste like they took A LOT more time and effort than they did. Definitely one of the best and easiest appetizers to make.

In honor of the Super Bowl, one of our favorite super simple appetizers...

Lil Smokies.
Growing up these were staple for New Years Eve and Super Bowl Sunday. These evenings were made for "nibble food" versus real meals at our house. Hope you enjoy.

Lil Smokies

3 packages lil smokies
1 bottle barbecue sauce
1 c. grape jelly

Mix all together in a large sauce pan, and heat over medium heat until heated through. Easy peasy lemon squeezy and loved by all!