Restaurant Style Salsa

1 (28 0z) can of whole, peeled tomatoes
1/2 onion or to taste, chopped
1 can Mexican Rotel, drained
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic pepper seasoning (found with the spices)

Chop whole tomatoes to the consistency you like. Mix all ingredients together. Serve with Tostitos or your favorite chips.

***This recipe is from my sister, Tiffany. We love salsa in our family. We grew up eating homemade salsa from the fresh tomatoes, peppers and herbs that we grew. This is one of the few recipes that I would compare to a fresh, restaurant style salsa. Very good. I recommend making it a day ahead and letting it chill overnight. This allows all the flavors to marinade together, it definitely taste better with time.

Hot Artichoke Dip

2-14 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained
1-8 oz block cream cheese
1 cup real mayo
cayenne pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Chop artichokes up kind of chunky and soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Mix everything well in a bowl. Pour mixture in an oven-safe dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Serve with chips, crackers, or a spoon.

****I've yet to make this dip but had it at a Bible study that I attended this past Spring. A fellow member of the group made it. It was gone by the end of the night and once you've tasted it, you'll know why. It was so creamy and good. I'm not a big fan of artichoke dip but this is one dip that I make an exception. She said this recipe came from The Pioneer Woman who has many popular recipes so you may have already had this.

I just may have to stop waiting on an occasion to make this and do it for myself.

Fresh Summer Salsa

2 medium onions, chopped
4 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin seed, crushed
1 T. lemon juice

Mix onion and tomatoes, simmer 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Add next 5 ingredients and simmer 15 more minutes or the desired consistency. Chill until cold. Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.

For preserving salsa: Spoon salsa into hot sterilized pint jars. Add 1/2 tsp salt to each pint jar. Seal jars. Place in pressure cooker and process at 5 lbs pressure for 10 minutes.

****As you have probably read in many of my others posts regarding the fresh, garden vegetables we used to grow and use, this is a recipe we used with the many tomatoes we picked from our garden. Making this salsa was a family tradition every summer. We would preserve so many pints that we had enough to give as Christmas gifts with still enough to last the year round til it was time to make more the next summer.

I had never tried store bought salsa til I was in college. I guess you can call me a "salsa snob" because once you've had homemade...the store stuff is just that...'store stuff'. I've found a decent compromise but it's still nothing like the homemade.

Cheese Loaf

1 large loaf French bread
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (medium and sharp)
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped green chilis
1 small can Hormel chopped ham
Dash of Worchestershire sauce
Hot sauce to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Mix all above ingredients well and pour into hollow French bread loaf. Wrap completely in foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Unwrap and broil just a few minutes until bread is browned. Best when served warm. Serve with Fritos.

****This is a delicious, warm dip recipe. Every time this has been served at a party, there is never any left. This is a recipe my mom got from a long time friend and fellow x-ray tech.

My mom and I use Hawaiian Bread instead of French bread.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a recipe given to me by Lisa Usry. It is FABULOUS! You can vary the hot sauces to make it as hot or mild as you like. We like it with Tabasco because there is a little more heat. Lisa makes it with Texas Pete's instead of Tabasco.

2 packages of cream cheese
1/4 c. Tabasco Sauce
1/3 c. Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 cans chicken, drained (or I use about 4 frozen chicken tenderloins because I prefer it over the canned)
1 c. Ranch dressing
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the packages of cream cheese with the hot sauces, cooked chicken and Ranch dressing. (I use a hand held mixer and gently blend on low.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with corn chips!

Black Bean Salsa

15 oz can corn, drained
15 oz can black beans, drained
16 oz jar of salsa
1/4 cup Italian dressing

Mix all together and serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

***My favorite store bought salsa is Private Selection Restaurant Style Salsa, medium heat found at Kroger. It's as close to homemade or restaurant style I have found that is canned. I have only used this salsa with this recipe so I can't attest to the taste of any other kinds or brands. I also use Fat Free Zesty Italian and add just a little more than it calls for.

I have fixed this several times and love it. With spring and summer on its way that means cookouts, parties, and more outdoor gatherings with friends and family. And here in the South there is not a gathering without food or something to snack/munch on.

I love chip n dip. Several of my friends and I have admitted that if we are standing around chips and dip...we can "dip" all day long. It's just something about that snack that really does bring fellowship around the table.

I can't remember where I found this exact. There are many on the web.

Cheese Loaf

1 large loaf French Bread
1 1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or medium)
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese (softened)
1/3 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. chopped green chilies
1 small can chopped ham
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients well and pour in hollow French Bread loaf. Wrap in foil and bake at 35o for 1 hour. Unwrap and broil until bread is brown. (you can broil just before serving for a better flavor).

***This recipe can also be used with a whole, round loaf of Hawaiian Sweet Bread. There is never any left when this is fixed for family gatherings and other events.

***This recipe is from my mamma.

Hot Ham & Cheese Spread

1 pkg (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 slices Smoked Ham, finely chopped
Ritz Crackers

Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and ham until well blended. Spoon into ovenproof crock or bowl. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Serve warm as a spread with crackers.

When I make this for a party, it disappears quickly. I found this on a box of Ritz crackers a few years ago.

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

2(10 oz) packages frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 cup (4 oz) grated parmesan cheese
2 to 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 (14 oz) can chopped artichoke hearts, drained

Mix the spinach, Parmesan cheese, most of the Monterey Jack cheese and the aritchoke hearts in a bowl. Spoon into a baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese - bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


I like to serve this with the Tostitos Flour Tortilla Chips.

Pizza Dip

1 jar pizza sauce
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 package cream cheese - softened
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 Tbs chopped bell pepper
2 Tbs chopped green onion
1 loaf French bread

Mix cream cheese & Italian seasoning and spread in bottom of 8x8 baker. Mix 2 cheeses & spread 1/2 of mixture in pan. Pour all of pizza sauce in pan. Spread rest of cheese mixture in pan & top w/ bell pepper and green onion.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 -18 minutes or until bubbly.

Take bread and tear into bite size pieces & toast on cookie sheet until lightly crispy. Use bread for dipping.

Jeremy's Salsa

1 small white onion
2 cans whole tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can rotel, drained
1 small jar of Pace picante sauce
juice of half of a lime
garlic salt to taste
tsp of sugar

Chop onion and cilantro, place in food processor with all other ingredients and process until slightly chunky.

Submitted by Carolyn L.