Those Little Crabby Bites

Makes about 24 bites

This may well have been one of the first appetizers I ever served at a party!  It's almost a "vintage" recipe and you'd really never know that the crust is English muffins!  If you know me, you know how I just love Velveeta cheese so Kraft Old English cheese spread is the next best thing and is what this recipe requires.  I've doctored up the basic recipe to make it a bit more savory, without sacrificing the taste of the yummy crab. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 package English muffins, sliced in half and lightly toasted

8 ounces crab (I used fresh, premium refrigerated lump crab.. or you could use canned)

½ cup salted butter, melted (1 stick)

1 5-ounce jar Kraft Old English Cheese Spread

2 Tablespoons low fat Hellman’s mayonnaise

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon minced onion

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Couple of drops of Tabasco (optional)

Old Bay seasoning

DIRECTIONS: 

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

·         Add butter, cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and Tabasco to medium mixing bowl.  Blend with fork or spoon until well combined and creamy.

·         Add crab meat and combine well.

·         Arrange muffins on baking sheet.

·         Spread mixture evenly on each muffin half and then quarter each half; you will have 24 wedges.

·         Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Oh Yum!

 

Mexican Corn & Green Chili Souffle Minis

Servings: about 20

I don't know why, but I just love making individual servings rather than one large baking dish full of something!  I love Southern style corn pudding, corn casserole, corn souffle, or whatever you call it... but I really like to add chopped green chilis to mine!  They just make it "pop" so to speak.  This time I made it in cupcake tins and ended up with 20 or so servings.  Delightfully fun and perfect to take to a potluck picnic!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can creamed corn
• 1 can sweet corn kernels, drained (I use Mexicorn or Fiesta Corn)
• 1 can chopped green chilis, undrained
• 1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 cup low fat sour cream
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice (I like the Mexican blend for this recipe)
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray or use foil cupcake liners, sprayed lightly.  Fill each cup about ¾ full (this is about 1/3 cup of the mixture) and spread to even out the top.

Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until set and golden.

Hurricane Patti's Chicken Stew

Patti’s Hurricane Chicken Stew

Servings about 10

Well, the first named hurricane of the 2014 season is headed directly toward us!  The rain is coming down in torrents and the wind is blowing fiercely but we still have power so I'm gonna make some chicken stew... enough to feed a crowd!  Here's what I conconted from ingredients that I had on hand in the fridge and pantry.  It's sort of like a Brunswick stew and is truly a one pot dinner.  

1  2 ½  pound package Costco vacuum packed rotisserie chicken chunks

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped

3 15-oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained

1 package Simply Potatoes O’Brien hash browns

1 package frozen corn kernels

1 package frozen lima beans (I used fresh picked)

1 32-ounce carton chicken broth

1 Tablespoon Willie’s Hog Dust seasoning blend (or your favorite spices)

¼ cup favorite bbq sauce (I used hickory flavored)

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Place all in 6-quart slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Stir to blend and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.  Serve with fresh baked crusty bread or garlic cheddar biscuits!  All you need to complete the dinner is a green salad or perhaps cole slaw! 

Summertime Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

 Summertime Tomato, Cucumber and Feta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

  Servings: 8

 

I love summer's bounty of "home grown" tomatoes and cucumbers!  I love Greek feta cheese!  I love vinaigrette dressing!  Add a little tuna to this and you've got a nice Mediterranean style lunch!  Just pretend you're sitting on a Greek isle with a glass of cool white wine. 

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

4 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges or chunks

1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced and diced

½ cup Feta cheese crumbles

Dash of sea salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

About ¼ to ½ cup red wine vinaigrette dressing

Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, cheese, sea salt and pepper and give a stir to combine.  Prepare the vinaigrette and pour about ¼ cup dressing over the veggies and stir again.  Add more vinaigrette if required; I generally start out light and add more if needed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1 pouch(envelope)  Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix

¼ cup red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons water

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pour vinegar and water into container with tight fitting lid.  Add Good Seasons dressing mix contents and shake vigorously.. .and I mean really vigorously.  Add the olive oil and mustard and shake again until well blended.  Store in refrigerator; to use let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour and shake to blend.