My high school friends and I have our first supper club this Saturday. There are finally enough of us, back in Charleston, to organize such a fun event. My insanely talented photographer friend, @KristenLequire, is hosting our first gathering so I only need to bring an app. No big deal, right? Not true. The struggle to come up with an app that travels well, eats well and tastes good is real. I find the “what app should I bring” question is the most common I’m asked by followers. So, this week I’m giving you a list of my favorites, by category, and a few tips to boot.
Cold Appetizers ~ By far the easiest appetizer option. Want to make it and forget about it? These apps are for you. Most cold apps can sit at room temperature, for around two hours, including apps made with meat, dairy or eggs. After that, you may want to put them back in the fridge for a bit unless you are OK with being sick the next day. My favorites:
Goat Cheese, Basil Dip with Honey; Avocado Yogurt Dip w/ Veggies; Neiman Marcus Dip; The BEST Black Bean Hummus; Herbed Goat Cheese; Big T’s Crab Dip; Spicy Tuna Poke and Avocado Cups; Caesar Salad Cups; Boiled Old Bay Shrimp; Antipasto Salad Kabobs; Ceviche;
Hot Appetizers – These can be tricky if you are taking your app on the road. Make sure, when bringing a hot app, it will still be tasty at room temp – some wilt or get straight up nasty after they cool down. Opt for an appetizer that can live in a crockpot or place your app on a warming tray. I really need to convince the peeps @yeti to create some cookware!! Hot apps are perfect if you are hosting – you can pull them out of the oven just as your guests arrive. Below are my favs (P.S. – I have a slight obsession with wonton wrappers. They used to frighten me but no more. Super easy to work with and have made apps a game changer in my world. Use them)
Hot Ham Sammies; Crab Rangoon Dip; Cheesy Sausage Dip; Hot Corn Dip Wonton Cups; Spinach, Artichoke and Goat Cheese Dip; Baked Brie; Crack Dip; Gruyere, Bacon & Caramelized Onion Dip; The BEST Hot Artichoke Dip; DwtD Buffalo Chicken Taco Cups (Recipe Below):
For 12 Cups:
- 1 Rotisserie Chicken
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/3 cup ( up to ½ cup depending on how buffalo-y you like your chicken) Franks Red Hot Sauce
- Wonton Wrappers – 24
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Pre-heat oven to 400. Melt cream cheese, butter and hot sauce together on low heat, stirring frequently until fully incorporated. Fold in picked rotisserie chicken, salt, pepper and paprika to the melted mixture. Set aside. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. Place one wonton wrapper in the bottom of each muffin cup. Place about one tablespoon of the buffalo chicken mixture into each cup. Top with 2 tsp of shredded cheese. Place a second wonton wrapper on top of the cheese then add the remaining chicken mixture and cheese across all the muffin cups. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until wonton edges are browned and cheese is melted. Top each cup with a dollop of sour cream, tomatoes and green onions – or whatever your heart desires!! Serve immediately.
MEAL PLAN FOR THE WEEK OF 5/12
Sunday, May 12th – Happy Mother’s Day. I’m not even going to pretend I’m cooking today. No Mom should. Go out. Order pizza. Have your partner cook for you. Relax and enjoy.
Monday, May 13th – Greek Burger Salad – I’m only linking out the tzatziki because I plan to use a @bubbaburger and since the instructions are on the box, I’m pretty sure you can manage. I’m going to chop my burger, add some veggies and top with this delicious tzatziki. Don’t worry about squeezing the cucumber – it’s not a big deal.
Tuesday, May 14th – Everything Bagel Chicken with Asparagus – I apologize but you will need @TraderJoes Everything Bagel spice for this recipe. You won’t regret it as it’s the most amazing spice, ever. Amazon also sells! I went to put on a pair of shorts Friday night that were HUGE last summer only to find they had shrunk. I swear clothing shrinks if it’s sits for too long. That’s a thing, right? I’ll just eat super healthy in case I’m wrong. This recipe will help!!
Wednesday, May 15th – BBQ Pork Tenderloin in the Crocker – By this point in time my kitchen should be pretty packed up. Hopefully I was smart enough to put a few items towards the front of the chaos for accessibility. My crocker should be one of those items as I will be using the bejesus out of it for the next few weeks. I’ll nuke some green beans and call it a day. Oh wait, will I have a microwave? Hmmmmmmm
Thursday, May 16th – One Pan Baked Smothered Chicken – Just chopping and mixing here peeps. Family favorite in my house. Well, Regs doesn’t vote unless it’s grilled cheese, chicken fingers, steak or dessert. 3 out of 4 ain’t so bad. Serve with brown rice, salad – whatever you have on hand.
Friday, May 17th – Salmon and Summer Veggies – Well, I’m pretty sure my kitchen will be dust at this point so I’m hoping my neighbors were for real when they told me I could use their kitchens. Mandy, if you are reading this, I’m coming over. Hopefully I can put these easy packets together in my living room and then bake them at the Reids. Light, summery dish, perfect for a Friday in May!!
Happy, Healthy Eating Friends! Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram – @dinnerwiththeduffys!! Kitchen updates coming soon.
XO ~ Kelly D.
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