Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Tangy Shrimp Dip)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you what I would consider to be a spring dish but you really can make this any time of year. This is one of those recipes that absolutely delicious as it is but there’s lots of room to personalize this dish. I personally like to add some lumped crabmeat and some chopped fresh avocado into this dip. It gives it a sort of guacamole vibe but then again I’m a big fan of Kicked Up Guacamole with Lumped Crabmeat so that probably explains it since there’s a lot of the same ingredients. Anyway, give this a try the next time you’re entertaining guests or you have to make something for a pot luck. I promise it will disappear faster than you can blink an eye. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Tangy Shrimp Dip

• 1 (8 oz) pkg Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 2 (4.5 oz) cans Small Shrimp, drained
• 1 (8 oz) jar Cocktail Sauce
• 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/4 cup Chopped Green Onion
• 1/4 cup Chopped Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Tomato, chopped

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth; spread into the bottom of a serving dish.
2. Layer the top of the cream cheese mixture with the remaining ingredients in the following order: shrimp, cocktail sauce, mozzarella cheese, green onion, green pepper, and tomato.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Yummy Recipe Thursday! (Southern Pineapple Casserole)

Hello again friendly food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Thursday. So it may be a day late but I’ve got a recipe for you today for something truly amazing. I remember the first time I saw this recipe; I was confused at first by the combination of ingredients. Cheese and Pineapple? Really? Of course it didn’t sound absolutely appalling and I’m always adventurous when it comes to food anyway so I gave it a try and it’s almost hard to describe in words just how incredible this casserole is. Salty, sweet, and savory are three things that should be combined more often. I later found out that this dish is often times served at Thanksgiving and Easter which makes a lot of sense since pineapple and ham, something served on both of those holidays, go together so well. With Easter coming up this weekend, I highly recommend you give this a try. Just be prepared to make this every Easter, and maybe other holidays, because it will be highly requested by your friends and family. As always, please feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Southern Pineapple Casserole

• 1 (20 oz) can Pineapple Chunks
• 1 (20 oz) can Crushed Pineapple, drained
• 40 Buttery Round Crackers, crushed
• 1 cup Butter, melted
• 6 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 2 cups Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C); drain the pineapple chunks, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice.
2. In a small bowl mix together the crushed crackers and melted butter; set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine the pineapple chunks, crushed pineapple, flour, sugar, cheddar cheese, and reserved pineapple juice; pour the mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
4. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.
5. Sprinkle the cracker crumb mixture over the top of the pineapple mixture.
6. Bake an additional 20 minutes or until the cracker crust is a nice golden brown color.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Irish Colcannon)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. So with tomorrow being St Patrick’s Day I figured I should probably go ahead and post another Irish recipe in celebration of the day. The recipe I bring you today is a side dish of potatoes, cabbage, onion, and bacon that’s all mashed together and is typically eaten alongside Corned Beef. You can also combine the leftover Corned Beef with the leftover Colcannon, assuming there is any, the next day for an absolutely delicious treat. Personally I love this dish all year around, especially in the winter months. It goes great with anything that you would normally have mashed potatoes with. Give this a try for yourself tomorrow to go along with your St Patrick’s Day Corned Beef dinner and I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Irish Colcannon

• 2 1/2 lbs Potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 6 slices Bacon
• 1/2 Small Head Cabbage, chopped
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup Milk
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup Butter, melted

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover them; bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown; drain the bacon, reserving the drippings, crumble the bacon and set it aside.
3. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and the onion until soft and translucent.
4. Drain the cooked potatoes, mash them with milk and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Fold the bacon, cabbage, and onions into the potato mash then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl; make a well in the center of the potatoes, pour in the melted butter, and serve immediately.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Catalina Tortilla Salad)

Hello friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a delicious spin on Taco Salad that is actually meatless, but can easily be made with meat if desired. I usually make this salad with no meat if I’m bringing it as a side dish to a potluck and if I’m having it at home I’ll usually add ground beef or chicken, which are both amazing in this salad. Now, if you’re wondering to yourself “what exactly is Catalina dressing?” I can help with that …. sort of. All I can really tell you is that Catalina dressing is very very similar to French dressing but is a darker red color and is slightly sweeter than French dressing. Also, I can only find Catalina dressing in Kraft brand here and I’m starting to believe that it’s something that Kraft came up with but I can’t find anything online confirming or denying that. Anyway, this recipe is pretty straight forward so there's really no advice or clarification needed. Give it a try at your next family gathering or the next time you’re craving a Taco Salad but want something different. I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter, if you aren’t already, so you don’t miss a single new post.

Catalina Tortilla Salad

• 1 head Lettuce, chopped
• 2 cans Chili Beans, drained
• 1 can Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1 pkg (2 cups) Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can Black Olives (optional)
• 1 bag Tortilla Chips (Plain or Doritos), crushed
• About 1/2 bottle Catalina Dressing, to taste

1. In a large bowl, add the lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cheese, black olives (if using), and crushed tortilla chips; toss well to combine.
2. Just before serving pour in approximately 1/2 bottle of Catalina salad dressing, more or less to your taste, and toss well to coat everything in dressing.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Authentic Irish Soda Bread)

Hello again friends and food lovers. Welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. To kick of the month of March I have a recipe for a delicious Irish Soda Bread as a sort of celebration of St Patrick’s Day this month. I imagine I will have at least 1 or 2 more Irish recipes for you this month. So from what I’ve been told this Irish Soda Bread recipe is about as authentic as they come. I know that a lot of Irish dishes like Soda Bread and Colcannon are made slightly different depending on what county in Ireland it comes from and I don’t know what county this recipe comes from but I’m told it’s authentic. Personally, I’ve tried lots of different Soda Breads and this is probably one of the best ones I’ve ever had. I love this recipe as well because it’s super simple to make. In fact, this would be a great recipe to make with children. On a side note, the dough with be slightly damp and sticky after kneading it but it’s supposed to be that way so you don’t need to throw anymore flour at it. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think in the comments below and as always, be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single new post.

Authentic Irish Soda Bread

• 1 cup Milk
• 2 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp White Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt

1. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar and allow to stand until curdled, about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C); grease a baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
4. Gradually stir the soured milk into the flour mixture just until the dough comes together then turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface.
5. Knead the dough a few times, and shape it into a round loaf, then place it onto the prepared baking sheet; with a sharp knife, cut an X into the top of the dough to release steam and help the bread keep its round shape as it bakes.
6. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.