Category: Cooking

I Heart Cooking! (Buffalo Chicken Dip)

I’m always looking for snacks that warm my soul but won’t stop the shrinking waist line I have right now. I have a friend who often makes Buffalo Chicken Dip for our gatherings and no matter HOW big of a slow cooker she puts it in…IT AIN’T ENOUGH! Ha!!! Her dip is so very yummy! But today I wanted to try my hand at my own version. I sort of read up on several different versions and came up with the lowest carb version that I could and decided to try it out.

Since I have been trying to cut the carbs, I know this is a dip I can have…I just have to be creative as to what I use to scoop. I choose celery today. Of course for my family, I will have their Fritos Scoops and their Doritos. Otherwise, the only thing I got to eat tonight might have been a knuckle sandwich. (Wait, that would most likely be low carb as well. Right? Ha!)

But anyhoo, here are the ingredients you will need.

Please feel free to use whatever name brands you’d like.

1-1/2 cups Buffalo Wing Sauce

1 cup Blue Cheese Dressing

2-8 oz blocks of Cream Cheese (softened at room temperature)

6- 12.5 oz cans of Chunk Chicken Breast (drained and crumbled)

4 to 6 cups Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack

For this size recipe, use a 4 qt casserole dish. Crumble the drained chicken into the bottom of the casserole dish. Mash cream cheese into the chicken until the chicken is fully covered by cream cheese. Then add your Buffalo Wing Sauce, Blue Cheese Dressing and half of your shredded cheese. Once all is mixed well, flatten ingredients and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Baked at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes. I left it in long enough to see bubbling in the center and a nice sear to the cheese in areas.

Now it’s ready to eat! Just dip with Frito’s Scoops, Doritos…or celery sticks for you low carbers.

I will admit, there are a few changes that I will possibly implement before I make this dish again. I didn’t use a full 6 cups of cheese and it left quite a bit of grease floating on the top. If you drop to the 4 cup range of cheese, there will surely be less grease on top. Secondly, I will use a little less Buffalo Wing Sauce as the spice was fairly significant; possibly will use only 1-1/3 cup. Thirdly, I will most likely use three 8 oz blocks of cream cheese rather than two as I think I would like it a little thicker. And finally, I will possibly use 1/2 cup Ranch and 1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing rather than 1 cup of Blue Cheese. I will certainly let you know how it goes the second time around. Please let me know how your version goes; I would LOVE to hear!

I’ve enjoyed spending time with you in the Bloggerina’s Kitchen!

With warmest regards,

Paula

I Heart Cooking! (Paula’s Cheese Stuffed Meatballs)

I have been living…atleast partially…the Keto life lately. I’ve lost a little over 30 pounds since February of this year. But the best thing, by far, is that I feel fantastic! More energy, less swelling in my fingers, not hungry in between meals, clarity of thought. It is just wonderful!

I’d like to share a delicious little recipe that I threw together myself!

Paula’s Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

You will need:

3lbs Hamburger meat

one bunch of green onions, chopped (add as much or as little as you like)

one pack of cubed cheese (your choice, I chose cheddar)

2-3 eggs

Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder (Feel free to add any other seasonings you like, the options are endless! Be creative with it!)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, with the exception of the cheese cubes. (Set the cheese cubes aside.) The best way to mix thoroughly is to get your hands all in the ingredients and just squish it together. (Stop grossing out, wash good and dig in…mix it like your granny used to. Ha!) After mixed thoroughly, start rolling them out. Approximately 2 inches in diameter.

You will need to stuff a cheese cube inside each and line on a cookie sheet already sprayed with non-stick spray. Make certain to have the cheese cube fully and tightly enclosed in the hamburger meat or it is more likely to sneak out during their time in the oven.

Once they’re all rolled and settled onto the cookie sheet, bake at 425 degrees for approximately 30-45 mins. Due to the excessive amount of grease that pooled on the cookie sheet, about half way through baking, I drained the grease off so that they weren’t just soaking in it. You could also decrease the amount of grease by using a much leaner mix of ground meat.

Man! These are super delicious and perfect for the Keto life!

I must say though, it’s often difficult for me to juggle a family of four and meet everyone’s meal needs. If you are doing Keto and your family is not, be creative and design the remainder of the meal around their needs and likes.

Example one: Pull enough Cheese Stuffed Meatballs out for you, pour spaghetti sauce over the remainder, heat and add pasta for Spaghetti & Meatballs. Voila! You have a meal that the entire family can enjoy…while you keep the pounds and inches on the decline.

Example two: Pull enough Cheese Stuffed Meatballs out for you, pour pizza sauce over the remainder, heat and place inside hoagie buns, sprinkle with parmesan cheese or mozzarella. Voila! You have a meal that the entire family can enjoy…while you keep the pounds and inches on the decline.

Add a salad and enjoy! =)

Sipping coffee this afternoon, thinking up what else I may try making. I’ll definitely keep you updated. I love throwing stuff together and making up recipes. Let me know what you think! ~paula