Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake Dip

If you don't have any holiday spirit by now, here's your chance.  What's better than a Little Debbie Christmas Tree Snack Cake?  A whole bunch of them made into a festive dip.  This dip is decadent, fluffy and delightfully sweet.  And it comes together quickly so it is perfect for holiday parties, Christmas Eve snacking and last minute guests.  I served my dip with graham crackers for dipping, but this would be ideal with fruit or pretzel sticks too.  It's such a fun presentation of a nostalgic treat.  It's full of red and green sprinkles as well as holiday spirit.  

Isn't this just the cutest dessert?
Perfect to get everyone into the
holiday spirit.

I somehow lost my pictures of the 
ingredients, but the first step is 
blending the cakes, cream cheese,
milk and vanilla.

I like to make my own whipped cream 
in lieu of using whipped dairy topping.
Feel free to use either.

Carefully fold in your whipped cream
or whipped topping.  You want to keep
the dip light and fluffy.

Transfer to your serving dish and cover 
and refrigerate if you aren't using 
right away.

Or, if you are using right away, garnish with 
red and green sprinkles and plop that remaining
Little Debbie Cake right in the middle.

LITTLE DEBBIE CHRISTMAS TREE CAKE DIP

(8) Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes (they usually come 5 per box.  You'll need 2 boxes and have a few for snacking or decorating)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla 
8 ounces heavy whipping cream + 1 tablespoons sugar OR (1) 16 ounce carton whipped topping (like Cool Whip) *SEE NOTE
Red and Green Sprinkles

Remove the wrappers from the tree cakes.  Set one aside for garnish.  Break up the remaining 7 trees into the bowl of a stand mixer (Or large bowl and a hand mixer) Add the softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla.

Mix the ingredients on medium until the mixture is well-blended and smooth.  

 *NOTE: Beat the 8 ounces of whipping cream with the 1 tablespoon of sugar until you have a nice, stiff-peaked whipped cream.  I do this step because I really like the texture and flavor of freshly whipped cream instead of using a whipped dairy topping.  If you want to skip the whipped cream step and use a 16 ounce carton of whipped dairy topping please do.

Fold in the (already) whipped cream or the whipped topping carefully so your dip will become light and fluffy,

Transfer to a serving dish.  If you're not using it right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to serve garnish the top with red and green sprinkles and add the remaining Christmas Tree Cake.

Bloomin' Onion Dip

I'll have to admit, it's been years since I've had a Bloomin' Onion.  It's been years since I've eaten at an Outback Steakhouse.  Don't get me wrong, from what I remember it's pretty tasty.  I just have my own guy cooking steaks "OUT BACK" in my own backyard.  When Mr. Devilish Dish and I were first married, I used to make the bloomin' onions all of the time.  I would carefully cut the onion, batter and fry it.  I would even make that delicious horseradish-infused dipping sauce.  So when this dip recipe went viral, and I've seen it allover the place, I decided that the holiday season was the perfect time to bring this tasty appetizer back.  Even better, is the flavors are combined in a tasty dip form, so there's no mess of dipping into batter or frying.  It even features the kick of horseradish just like the dipping sauce.  And, the best part is the topping of those crispy French fried onions.  I love a good hot dip recipe for a party, and I know we will be making this viral sensation again during the holidays, or even out back, next summer lol.

All the flavors of that famous
Outback Appetizer, in an easy
hot dip form!

Here's the line up.  It seems like a lot of 
ingredients, but it all gets stirred together in one
bowl. So easy.

Simply stir it all together.
Much easier than cutting and frying
an onion.

Spread the dip mixture into the prepared
dish and top with the fried onions and bake.

Garnish with chopped green onions and
serve with pita chips.

No wonder this recipe went viral!
So good.

Bloomin' Onion Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped white onion
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup crispy French fried onions
chopped green onions

Town House Sea Salt Pita Chips for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease a deep pie dish or casserole dish and set aside.  Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped onion, Parmesan cheese, panko breadcrumbs, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, oregano, paprika and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Stir well.  Spread this mixture into prepared dish and top with the fried onions.  Bake approximately 20 minutes, until browned and bubbly.  If the onions are starting to get too brown, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking.  Remove from oven and garnish with chopped green onion tops and serve hot with pita chips.

BBQ Gift for Boys

Is it just me or are boys hard to shop for?  And by boys I mean my grown up husband.  It doesn't help that he's very particular about his things and he's also been known to treat himself.  I wouldn't dream of buying him clothes or golf stuff.  And he owns every possibly fishing lure known to man.  He does love grilling and smoking and barbecuing, although again he owns every grilling gadget and seasoning known to man.  A while back he asked if I would pick him up some towels for the patio.  I asked, "What kind of towels?" and his reply was, "You know, some towels that match our stuff, but you don't mind me using and getting dirty when I'm out here grilling."  Obviously after 30+ years I have trained him well.  He knows not to take the good towels outside.  Or mop up spaghetti sauce with them.  He has one hilarious towel I got him that hangs on his BBQ Cart and he said, "I don't want to use that one, it's too funny."  So when his birthday rolled around I could not think of anything to get him and then I remembered the towel request.  I decided surely I could build a gift around a few towels for the patio.  Perusing Bass Pro, I found this cool cast-iron casserole dish.  He loves to put things in the smoker.  Crab legs, Queso, Rice Krispie Treats, Pizza Rolls.  You name it, he's put it in the smoker.  I don't mind, except I DO MIND when he puts my beautiful bright red Le Creuset Dutch Oven in there.  That prized trophy needs to stay in the kitchen.  Once I stumbled upon the cast-iron dish and towels I just grabbed a few things to fill it up.  Sticking with the theme I added the silicone handles for said cast-iron pan, a brush to clean it and a very cool silicone pad to rest his tongs and spatulas on when he is cooking outdoors.  And I grabbed a container of the ONLY seasoning he does not own.  One created especially for game meats.  Little Devil's BF keeps us supplied with venison so that will be of great use.  Finally I added a magnet to add to our collection on our BBQ Storage cabinet.  I used a ponytail holder to form the towels into a big bow.  Because his gift might be boring barbecue and grilling stuff, but by gosh I will "Cute anything up!"

Proof I can "cute up" any ol gift, even
a boring BBQ boy gift.

Here it is before the "bow"
I scooted everything toward the
top because I knew the towels
would take up most of the space.

I used a new pony-tail holder to fold
the towels and create a bow shape.
I was too lazy to find a clear one or
one that matched the red color-scheme.
But he's a boy and did not care or 
notice.

This turned out pretty cute.  He was not aware
there was a cast-iron casserole dish available.
Thanks Lodge!  Now my fancy Le Creuset
gets to stay in the kitchen where it belongs.

Here's his "funny" towel he doesn't want to use
and get dirty.  Have fun having these lyrics
stuck in your head all day lol.

Dirty Martini Dip

We took a Fall break to Colorado to see Devilish Nephew and Fam.  Well really to see those Littlest Devils.  My Oklahoma Sooners just happened to be playing a big away game, so of course a huge watch party ensued.  The night before the big party however, we wanted to have a nice family dinner.  Mr. Devilish Dish made Chicken Saltimbocca and Garlic Bread.  It was a late meal, because of course I have to make sure the Littlest Devils get their bath, put on their jammies, brush their teeth, say their prayers and then I get conned into reading about a dozen books and singing a whole lot of lullabies.  I probably should not admit their favorite bedtime songs include "Boomer Sooner", "Oklahoma" and "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma." By the time and literal song and dance is done, sometimes we don't eat until 8:00 pm.  In addition to Mr. Devilish Dish and I making the trip out to Colorado, Little Devil and her boyfriend came to visit, along with one of the Devilish Nephew's fraternity brothers and his wife and children.  Once the kids were all down, we had nice grown up meal planned for 8 adults.  The Chicken Saltimbocca is so good, it stands alone, and we decided all we needed to serve with it was some crusty bread.  But I thought while Mr. Devilish Dish was preparing dinner we could use some kind of appetizer or antipasto.  Literally on the fly I the grocery store I settled on a Dirty Martini Dip.  I was so tired from cooking, shopping, singing and dancing I needed a simple appetizer to prepare.  I've seen this several times, with the olives chopped up and served in martini glasses, but I thought serving it on a big platter would be fun with a couple of different kinds of olives.  Honestly I wish I would have doubled the recipe, spread the dip onto a big charcuterie board and added several kinds of olives.  That's definitely happening soon.  It was truly a fun appetizer, light and tasty and not too filling before our delicious main course. 

A great party appetizer.

Combine the ingredients in a 
food processor or mixer and blend
until smooth.

Spread mixture onto a platter.
Drizzle with good quality 
olive oil.

Top with your favorite
pitted olives.
We love the Castelvetrano olives.
I opted for the Jalapeno stuffed since the
dip already contained blue cheese.
(Normally blue cheese stuffed
olives are my go-to for a good martini.)

This is such a pretty alternative to
just chopping the olives and 
serving the dip in a bowl.

DIRTY MARTINI DIP

8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2-3 tablespoons olive brine
1 tablespoon vodka
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
zest of 1 lemon
good quality olive oil for drizzling
1 jar of olives (Your choice - or use several different kinds.  I used Castelvetrano Olives and Jalapeno Stuffed Olives)
Chips of your choice for dipping

In a food processor or mixer combine the cream cheese crumbled blue cheese, olive brine, vodka, white pepper, garlic powder and lemon zest.  Mix until smooth.  Spread the dip onto a plate or platter.  Drizzle with olive oil and place the olives on top.  Serve with pita chips, crackers, pretzel chips or tortilla chips for dipping.

Chicken Saltimbocca

My kids love to cook.  Both Little Devil and the Devilish Nephew share our love for the kitchen.  I'm so glad, because it makes family gatherings even more fun and special.  One thing we've been trying to get across to Devilish Nephew is some of the best recipes in the world are super simple.  Just a handful of ingredients.  Thomas Keller's recipe for simple roasted chicken is literally: chicken, salt, fresh thyme and butter.  Sometimes the nephew gets grandiose ideas and chooses a mile long recipe with a mile long ingredient list.  Don't get me wrong, those recipes can be fun to prepare too, but when you're cooking for a crowd, or hosting a dinner party - sometimes a tried and true simple recipe is the way to go.  Chicken Saltimbocca checks all of the boxes.  It takes very few ingredients and a simple pan sauce for a dish that is impressive enough for any crowd.  We just returned from a visit to Colorado to see the nephew, where Mr. Devilish Dish made this for a dinner for 8 adults.  The prosciutto gives the chicken this little boost of salty flavor that is ideal atop a simple nest of angel hair pasta.  It's a classic dish, traditionally made from veal, but the chicken is also a classic combination that comes together quickly and easily in one pan, making it ideal for serving guests.  Delicious and impressive, with only a few ingredients.

This is such a simple, but delicious recipe.
It is perfect for a dinner party.
Easy to prepare but so impressive.

Once the chicken breasts are browned,
set aside on a plate while you prepare 
the sauce.

First add butter to the pan drippings,
and then deglaze with white wine.  Once 
the wine has reduced, add a sprig of fresh sage
and chicken or vegetable stock and allow to
reduce.  Return the chicken to the pan to finish
cooking, prosciutto side up.

Place the chicken atop fresh angel hair pasta 
and pour sauce over chicken and serve.

CHICKEN SALTIMBOCCA

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 6 ounces each

salt & pepper
fresh sage 

4 slices fresh prosciutto

all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Fresh cooked angel hair pasta (or mashed potatoes)

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Place one or two sage leaves on top of each chicken breast.  Top with a slice of prosciutto, trimming to fit if necessary.  Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound slightly with a meat hammer.  This will help the prosciutto bond to the chicken. Place some all-purpose flour onto a plate or shallow dish.  Lightly dust both sides of the chicken with flour.  Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a large skillet and place the chicken breasts prosciutto side down.  Cook approximately 3 minutes of fairly high heat, until the chicken is brown and done almost all of the way.  Turn the chicken over and brown the other side.  When the chicken is brown, remove from the pan onto a plate and set aside.  Leaving the drippings in the skillet, add the butter to the pan.  When it is melted, add the white wine to the pan to deglaze.  Scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan and cook until the wine is reduced by half, approximately 2 minutes.  Place a sprig of fresh sage in the pan, and add the chicken or vegetable stock to the pan and bring to a boil.  Cook until the stock mixture has reduced by half.  This should take 3-4 minutes.  Return the chicken to the skittle, prosciutto side up and simmer until the chicken is reheated and cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place chicken breasts top a nest of freshly cooked angel hair pasta, or a serving of mashed potatoes.  Pour the sauce over the top and serve.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies for National Cookie Day!

Christmas season is here and everyone is in full baking mode.  Whether it's cookie exchanges or cookies for Santa, this recipe has the true look and taste of the season.  Easy to prepare (from a boxed cake mix!) these beautifully crimson cookies dusted with powdered sugar will remind you of Santa's red velvet suit dusted with snow on Christmas Eve.  When I made these cookies, I have to admit it was for an Oklahoma Sooners Football Watch Party.  Of course they're ideal for Christmas with their red and white charm, but they're also ideal for Sooner fans whose team colors are crimson and cream.  Not to mention the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  Which speaking of the Cornhuskers, this recipe comes straight to you via my good friend Michaela at An Affair From the Heart.  When we were invited to a watch party last minute a few weeks back, I immediately went to Michaela's blog because as I've said for years, "Her recipes are tried and true and I know they will be a hit and I can make them with success and without a practice run."  These were the hit of the watch party, and I knew as soon as I made them I would be sharing the recipe with the holidays in mind. With all of the holiday festivities upcoming, be sure to check back here at The Devilish Dish for more great holiday recipes and gift ideas, and visit Michaela at An Affair From the Heart for more of the same! 

Aren't these just the cutest for a cookie tray?
They look like Santa's coat dusted in snow.

Only 4 ingredients...
So easy!

These fudgy bites are rolled in powdered
sugar just prior to baking for that sweet,
snowy look.

Ready for the oven.

These cookies capture all the colors and flavors
of Christmas.  Ideal for holiday cookie exchanges
or to give away as gifts!

Enjoy these sweet, fudgy flavorful cookies 
this holiday season.
Thanks Michaela for the recipe!

RED VELVET CRINKLE COOKIES

(From An Affair From the Heart)

1 Box Red Velvet Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In a mixing bowl combine cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil until well-combined.  This will be a thick and sticky dough.  Place the powdered sugar in a bowl.  Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and then roll into the powdered sugar coating heavily.  Place the dough balls onto the parchment lined cooking sheets and bake for 8 minutes.  Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.  Store in an air-tight container.  

 Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.