Appetizers

Gruyere Cheese Straws
recipes

Do the Twist With Herbed Cheese Straws

I try to avoid overarching statements, but I'm confident that if you make these easy yet impressive cheese straws for your next soirée, you will fall hard for store-bought puff pastry.
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I try to avoid overarching statements, but I'm confident that if you make these easy yet impressive cheese straws for your next soirée, you will fall hard for store-bought puff pastry. That is, if you're not already on best-friend terms with the genius ingredient. These gloriously flaky cheese straws might seem complex to construct, but really, it's just the butter-filled layers of puff pastry and a kiss of heat from the oven at work.

Little more than a brush of egg wash, a sprinkling of cheese and herbs, and a few deft (but easy) twirls of the puff pastry strips are required, all in all making for a very low effort-to-reward ratio. So what are you waiting for? Bake a handful of these treats, and your friends will be begging for the recipe!

Healthy Onion Dip Recipe
healthy living

Snack Smarter: Baked Potato Chips With Onion Dip

For a healthier take on classic onion dip, try this version that's made with Greek yogurt.
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For a healthier take on classic onion dip, try this version that's made with Greek yogurt. Traditionally served with greasy potato chips, this recipe calls for homemade baked chips — at a fraction of the fat. These crisp, cracked-pepper chips are worth the cook time, and the dip can be made the night before your event.

Keep reading for this perfect party recipe.

Healthy Mozzarella Sticks Recipe
Appetizers

Snack Smarter: Low-Cal Mozzarella Sticks

Forget the fryer, and opt for baked mozzarella sticks.
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Forget the fryer, and opt for baked mozzarella sticks. This recipe takes less than 20 minutes from prep to plate, and the final result comes out of the oven with a perfect gooey center. Add a little fresh tomato sauce to the side, and you've cooked up a festive party appetizer at a fraction of the calories.

Keep reading for this easy-to-make recipe.

Jalapeno Poppers Recipe Video
Appetizers

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers: A No-Fuss Snack For Game Day!

Bacon-wrapped anything is delicious, so it goes without saying that these jalapeño poppers — which are stuffed with herbs and cheese, then wrapped with an entire slice of bacon each — are over the top.
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Bacon-wrapped anything is delicious, so it goes without saying that these jalapeño poppers — which are stuffed with herbs and cheese, then wrapped with an entire slice of bacon each — are over the top. Despite sounding indulgent, they're incredibly easy to make and perfect for a game-day party. Learn the tricks to prepping them, like how to keep the heat in check and avoid messy oven explosions, when you watch the video.

Mediterranean Layered Dip
Vegetarian

8 Layers of Gold: Mediterranean Layered Dip

This may sound blasphemous, but I've never been quite able to get behind classic seven-layer dip.
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This may sound blasphemous, but I've never been quite able to get behind classic seven-layer dip. Don't get me wrong: I understand the appeal and then some. Heck, I wish I were as smitten with it as its many ardent fans are, but it's just not my cup of tea. So when I stumbled across this Mediterranean take on the iconic Super Bowl treat on one of my favorite blogs, I knew it was high time I got my offset spatula at the ready.

What I didn't anticipate was just how much I would adore this tangy, garlic-heavy appetizer. I'm only a hair embarrassed to say that I managed to polish off half the platter in one sitting. Each bite's ever-so-slightly different makeup makes it easy to keep coming back for just one more bite, and do so I did . . .

Keep reading for the dangerously good recipe.

Vegetarian Spring Roll Recipe With Seitan
Appetizers

Healthy Game-Day Snack: Veggie Spring Rolls

Spice up your Super Bowl party with some tasty finger food that just happens to be loaded with fresh veggies.
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Spice up your Super Bowl party with some tasty finger food that just happens to be loaded with fresh veggies. These healthy spring rolls, from M Café, are filled with seitan, carrots, romaine, and more! Plus they're easier to make than you think. Watch this video to learn the secret of rolling this tempting treat.

Recipe For Velveeta Nacho Cheese Dip
Vegetarian

Say Cheese! Nacho Cheese Dip

If someone were to ask me, "What's your guilty pleasure food?"
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If someone were to ask me, "What's your guilty pleasure food?" there's only one thing I can honestly answer: Velveeta. It's so bad . . . yet it's so good! Technically Velveeta isn't a cheese, but a "processed pasteurized cheese product" that has a creamy texture, mild cheddar flavor, and characteristic artificial-orange color.

Velveeta's most endearing quality, however, is its wonderful ability to melt; once heated, it becomes as smooth as velvet. Since 1928, when Kraft first introduced it to America kitchens, Velveeta has been used to make macaroni and cheese and my personal favorite, nacho cheese dip.

While I enjoy the traditional queso dip (a mixture of Velveeta and Ro-tel, a line of canned tomatoes and green chiles popular in Texas), I prefer this jazzed-up rendition. The refried beans provide a nice meatiness and the cumin gives it an element of smoke.

See how to make this gooey, insanely delicious dip.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip | Video
Appetizers

Super Bowl Sunday Bites: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Here's the secret to being the best-liked person in the room: make hot and cheesy buffalo chicken dip.
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Here's the secret to being the best-liked person in the room: make hot and cheesy buffalo chicken dip. If you're the kind of person who dreams about buffalo sauce (and really, who doesn't?), then score a touchdown at your next game-day party with a creamy, tangy dip that tastes just like fiery-hot chicken wings. Watch the video, print out the recipe, and wait for all your friends to beg you for the recipe.

Healthy Seven-Layer Dip
healthy living

Smarter Snack Time: Lightened-Up 7-Layer Dip

Tons of dairy and refried beans keep traditional seven-layer dip heavy on digestion.
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Tons of dairy and refried beans keep traditional seven-layer dip heavy on digestion. For a fresh take on a favorite, this lightened-up recipe still curbs cravings but with much less fat and far more fiber. And even though we're lightening up the layers with some healthy swaps, the dip will keep the festive look and variety of textures that everyone loves.

Keep reading to make a smarter dip.

Seven Layer Bean Dip Recipe
Vegetarian

Fuel Football Fans With 7-Layer Dip

What happens when you pack beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, and black olives into a casserole dish?
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What happens when you pack beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, and black olives into a casserole dish? You get a seven-layer dip that will send football fans tackling each other to scoop their chips first. It's a snap to make, and party-goers will probably devour it in a matter of minutes, as in before the first quarter ends.

We recommend splitting the dip into two smaller dishes so you can spread the joy amongst the couch and intercept unnecessary rough play between your guests. Trust me, people will get territorial about seven-layer dip.

Click here to make this winning appetizer dip.