Baked Blue Cheese Olive Bites

Fall is here and in addition to participating in the Fall Edition of #FreakyFriday that means football is here.  And if you've followed The Devilish Dish for any amount of time you know how much I love football season.  I was super excited to be invited to participate in #FreakyFriday for Fall, because I just love fall flavors and finding new recipes I can use for tailgating and watch parties.  If you aren't familiar with #FreakyFriday, each person in the group is assigned a blog to remake a recipe from.  All of this is kept a secret and today is the day we reveal our creations.  Not only with all of you, but with each other.  It's tons of fun to see who had what blog, and what recipes were chosen.  The bonus for all of you is not only do you get a collection of new recipe ideas, you are introduced to some talented new food bloggers as well. 

 

For the Fall Edition of #FreakyFriday I was assigned A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures.  Christie, who a self-proclaimed Kitchen Hoor (This is what her friends call her, it cracks me up) has a great blog full of fabulous recipes.  Bonus, a lot of them are healthy and low fat. Christie has been cooking since she was tall enough to see over the counter.  I've been cooking since I was knee-high to a stand mixer so we have a lot in common.  In one of of her most recent posts for Oven Fried Fish Sliders, Christie discusses her love for football and tailgate-friendly recipes.  See?  I told you we had a lot in common!  While perusing her blog, I also found a recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala.  In addition to football, we share a love for Indian food!  I'm definitely making this one soon. I can't wait to try Christie's Green Chile & Cheddar Baked Cornbread Donuts.  You already know my weakness for anything that includes green chiles.    Christie also makes the most beautiful and creative macarons you've ever seen.  I've never attempted macarons but after seeing her Fluffernutter Macarons I'm definitely inspired to give them a try.

Now you all know I am a Sooner Girl.  Sooner Born and Sooner Bred.  (When I die I'll be Sooner Dead.)  Oklahoma had their first football game of the season this past Saturday.  (I do not want to discuss the outcome of said football game.) Now we tailgate on campus at all of the home games, but for away games, I like to use the opportunity to test out new recipes for future tailgates and watch parties.  When I saw the Baked Blue Cheese Olive Bites on Christie's blog, I immediately knew they would be an addition to our party menu.  When I was a kid my mom made Stuffed Olive Balls for every occasion that came around.  (Without revealing my age let's just say these were the Appetizer of the 70's decade.)  Mom's version was a pimento-stuffed green olive, surrounded by a cheddar cheese/Bisquick dough.  Baked until golden brown.  While still tasty and never really out of style, for some reason I never make them because these little gems remind me of that electric warming tray in the sweet Carol Brady-floral print:

Yes my mom had this thing.  I saw one at an estate sale recently.  Wouldn't that be a hoot for tailgating?  Christie's updated version using blue cheese and blue cheese-stuffed olives just seemed so much more hip.  And boy were they tasty.  Tangy blue cheese-stuffed olives surrounded by golden, flaky baked blue-cheesy goodness?  So good. 

Check out that perfectly golden brown dough with the little bite of blue cheese goodness in the center!  Now my hubs and I are definitely fans of blue cheese.  He makes a mean Blue Cheese Dressing that is killer with hot wings.  If you don't happen to love blue cheese as much as we do, then Christie suggests using your favorite combination of cheese and olives with this recipe.  Who knew there were so many kinds of stuffed olives?  You can get them stuffed with garlic or even jalapeno!  Try that with some spicy pepper jack cheese!  Oooohhhh the culinary wheels are turning.  Man I'm really regretting not buying that swanky warming tray now. 

I really hope you'll hop on over to A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures and check out all of the great recipes and ideas that Christie has to offer.  She says in her blog post she's never actually attended a tailgate.  Who knows?  Maybe I can convince her to visit Oklahoma someday and tailgate Sooner-Style.  Then we can whip up a whole slew of tailgating treats for you!

Baked Blue Cheese Olive Bites

By: A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter
6 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
20-25  blue cheese stuffed olives

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine the flour with butter, blue cheese and spices.  Stir well to combine, using your hands if needed to mix the ingredients together.  Drain the olives and place on paper towels to dry them thoroughly.  Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and flatten it out in the palm of your hand.  Place an olive in the center and carefully wrap the dough around the olive.  Gently roll the dough coated olive in your hand until the seam in almost invisible.  Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Repeat with remaining dough and olives.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature. 

For those of you local to the Oklahoma area, you can find these
tasty Made in Oklahoma Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives at the international pantry,
and you can also order them online at: intlpantry.com

#FreakyFriday Participating Bloggers:

An Affair from the Heart
A Dish of Daily Life
A Kitchen Hoors Adventures
Aunt Bee's Recipes
Cooking On a Budget
Full Belly Sisters Hostess At Heart -Julie Menghini
LeMoine Family Kitchen
Pic-Nic
Platter Talk. A Culinary Blog. Food, Wine, Friends
Take Two Tapas
The Devilish Dish
The Foodie Affair
Who Needs A Cape?

Be sure and visit all of these talented bloggers for more unique inspirations...

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