Appetizers | Not Just Sunday Dinner

Fried Banana Peppers

I have my taste and smell back!! Thank goodness!

When you have no taste, you have no desire to cook. I cooked all day yesterday! Some of the recipes were trash can worthy. That’s okay, at least I knew that’s where they needed to go!

Savannah and I did a little Christmas shopping when she was home during the holidays. She took me to a restaurant in Savannah and ordered Fried Banana Peppers. If you have never tried them, they are addicting. I planned to make them at home right away but then ended up sick. I made them yesterday.

This recipe is for those that love good food but do not like to prepare it. Fried Banana Peppers are so simple I feel a little guilty sharing this recipe. I love banana peppers! In my opinion, this could be so much more than an appetizer. Fried Banana Peppers would be the perfect side for burgers or hot dogs. I even thought about topping a salad with them! Any way you decide to serve them, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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Fried Banana Peppers

Course Appetizer

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

16 ounces jar Mild banana peppers drained
Seasoned flour, such as an onion ring seasoning
Ranch dressing for dipping

Instructions

Heat about 1-inch of canola oil to 350℉.
Cover a baking pan with paper towels then place a wire rack on top, set aside.
Drain the peppers and leave in the strainer for about 15 minutes, shaking occasionally.
Pour the seasoned flour into a gallon ziptop bag. Add the peppers and shake to coat.
Drop into hot oil in batches, and fry until crispy.
Drain the peppers on the wire rack.
Serve hot with Ranch dressing.

Notes

Kentucky Kernel Seasoned Flour was used for this recipe.

Blue Balsamic Chips

Who out there plans their party menus weeks ahead of time? I have started my list of Super Bowl recipe contenders. Appetizers are the ultimate crowd-pleasers and what we will be serving this year. We seldom order them when we go out. That is unless we decide to split a few for our meal. Which is one of my favorite things to do!

I have been working on my recipe plans. I have a massive stack of cookbooks beside the couch with sticky notes everywhere. I know it’s old school, but I love a cookbook. A book that I can hold, rather than my iPad or computer, has so much appeal to me! If you ask Greg, my obsession with cookbooks is probably a little over the top. Oh well, it’s a cheap habit, and it makes me happy.

Here’s an oldie but a goodie that I will be making this year. Homemade crispy, crunchy potato chips topped with alfredo/blue cheese sauce, drizzled with balsamic glaze, and sprinkled with bacon and green onions. If that does not make your mouth water, I’m not sure what would!

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Blue Balsamic Chips

Course Appetizer

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes scrubbed
peanut oil for frying
salt to taste
1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce
6 ounces blue cheese crumbles plus more to spinkle over the top
1/4 cup Ranch dressing
4 strips bacon fried crisp, drained and chopped
3 green onions green part only, chopped
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Slice scrubbed potatoes thin. Soak in ice water for about 10 minutes. Drain and dry well.
Heat oil to 350℉ - 375℉.
While oil is heating, pour 1 cup alfredo sauce in a saucepan. Heat to boiling then reduce to a simmer. Add 6-ounces blue cheese crumbles and 1/4 cup Ranch dressing. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and allow to rest.
In another saucepan combine vinegar and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer annd stir occasionally. Make a slurry by adding 1 teaspoon water to the cornstarch. Add to the balsamic mixture and stir. (You need this to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If 1 tablespoon cornstarch isn't enough, make up a little more.). Set aside.
Fry potatoes to desired crispness. Drain well on paper-towel lined pans. Salt to taste.
Place chips on a serving plate. Drizzle chips with blue cheese sauce, then drizzle with some balsamic glaze. Sprinkle with bacon, blue cheese crumbles and green onions. Serve while chips are still warm.

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

It seems that everyone has focused on the bad things that happened in 2020. I could start listing the bad, but I choose to focus on the good. Yes, it has been different and stressful. I decide not to be a glass half empty type of person, though. As we go into 2021, I find myself thankful for much in 2020, and it is my wish that you can do that also.

Party appetizers are a must for New Year’s Eve! From finger foods and delicious dips to Charcuterie boards. A table full of appetizers is sure to get your celebration off to a great start.

Here’s is a fun cheeseball that everyone loves. This chocolate chip cheeseball is a sweet surprise served with graham crackers. It is somewhat sticky, and I find it easier to roll this into a ball if I do it in a bowl. Pour some of your chopped pecans or chips into the bottom of the bowl. Place the cheeseball mixture on top, and then use the bowl to help guide you into making it into a ball. Pour additional pecans or chips on top. Now, you should be able to dump the ball onto waxed paper and finish covering it with nuts or chips.

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Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Course Appetizer

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

2 (8-ounces) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup toffee bits optional
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or additional mini chocolate chips
Graham Crackers for serving

Instructions

Beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add vanilla and sugars and mix well.
Stir in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips and toffee bit (if using). Mix well.
Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Remove mixture from refrigerator and roll into a ball. Mixture will be very sticky. Cover ball completely with pecans or mini chocolate chips. Place on serving dish. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with graham crackers.

Tater Tot Potato Skins

Some recipes become second nature. You don’t need to look at a recipe for the ingredients, and you don’t even need to follow the directions. Sausage cheese balls, homemade biscuits, and salmon patties are all like that for me.

Here is another recipe that you will not need to look at again. It’s super simple and delicious! This is a great recipe to have in your hip pocket when you need something in a hurry.

These delicious little bites are great for any occasion, from bonfires to Thanksgiving and Christmas parties that are just around the corner. They have all of the great flavors of potato skins, but tater tots make this much easier! Yes, thawed tater tots make this wonderful treat super easy. Little ones love to help press the thawed tater tots into the greased muffin pan, and teens enjoy making them for friends. This is just the beginning; you will still be making these babies years from now!

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Tater Tot Potato Skins

Course Appetizer

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

32 ounce package tater tots thawed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh chives chopped
1/2 cup chopped cooked crisp bacon

Instructions

Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Using something like the handle of a wooden spoon, press the thawed tater tot into the muffin tins, up the sides and in the bottom. It should look like a crust.
Sprinkle cheese over each tater tot.
Bake until the cheese has melted and the tater tots are slightly browned.
Remove from oven.
Top each tot with sour cream, chives, and bacon.
Serve warm.

Melon Mango Salsa

While recently camping with friends, I tried some of the best salsa EVER! My friend Katie made this Melon Mango Salsa one afternoon, and her daughter and I almost cleaned it out by ourselves. We had it with tortilla chips, but Katie’s favorite way to serve the Melon Mango Salsa is alongside fish.

Since that camping trip, it has become a favorite of mine. It’s great with fish or chicken. My uncle even had a bowl of it for dessert. Dessert may be a stretch for most, but I think you get the idea. IT IS FANTASTIC!

Melon Mango Salsa will last two days in the refrigerator. Past that, I’m not sure because it has not been around that long at my house.

When choosing a mango, do not focus on the color. The red color on some varieties is not an indicator of ripeness. Always judge by feel. Gently squeeze the mango. It should give slightly when ripe.

The best way to pick a cantaloupe is by smell. It should have a sweet, slightly musky scent. It will feel heavy, and the rind should resemble raised netting. When you press your thumb at the stem end, it should yield slightly.

I don’t know about you, but a good honeydew melon is sometimes difficult for me to pick. You should squeeze the ends of the fruit, and if it’s ripe, it should give a bit. The more yellow it is, the better. Also, a ripe honeydew melon will have an almost sticky texture.

This recipe is not precise. Use your judgment, and if you like more cilantro, onion, or jalapeño, you can certainly add it. You will be able to find delicious melons and mangoes in the stores now. The hot days of July will be a perfect time to serve this salsa!

Melon Mango Salsa

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

2 ripe mangoes peeled and choppped
2 cups peeled and chopped cantaloupe
2 cups peeled and chopped honeydew
1/4 cup red onion chopped (or more to taste)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
juice of 2 limes
2 pinches salt
2 pinches sugar

Instructions

In a large bowl combine the chopped mango, cantaloupe, honeydew and onion. Add the cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and sugar and toss.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Store in the refrigerator.