To make up for no recipes yesterday (the new refrigerator is gorgeous by the way!) I did two this evening. We had friends over for some holiday festivities this evening so I went with an old staple that I haven't made yet as well as a festive dessert.
Fiesta Chili Dip w/Ground Turkey & Corn
I got this recipe from The Seattle Times five years ago as an idea for a Super Bowl party. I made it that year and I have been making it ever since. It's great for large groups and it's really nice when the weather is cold. I liked it because it was made with ground turkey as well as vegetarian chili. This dish is really easy to change up as well. I like to add additional salsa afterwards and have tried it with guacamole, although I find that to be a little heavy. I generally serve it with tortilla chips as well as soft taco shells. It really could be eaten on it's own, but I like to make it a meal.
Things I learned from this recipe:
I forgot to add the corn to the frying pan prior to baking so I added it into the baking dish right before baking and mixed it in with the cheese. It turned out a little heavy on the color (photo 1) but it tasted just fine.
Would I make this recipe again?:
Yes
The recipe
Candy Cane Cake
I cannot tell a lie. I have been wanting to make this recipe all year. The appeal of the photo was unbelievable and I could not wait until candy canes were on sale this month. My original thought was to make it for Christmas dessert, but I have another great candy cane recipe saved for that night.
Back to this delicious cake. I saved time, as the recipe suggested, and bought a pre-made angel food cake round from the store. The recipe also has a recipe for homemade angel food cake which I will definitely be trying at some point. As for the whipped cream, I think there was a little too much, but we ended up filling the hole in the cake with the leftover so there was no waste! The best part about this recipe were the candy canes. Not only do you get to take some aggression out and crush them with a meat pounder, but you also get to throw them onto the cake. The last step says "Hold your hand about 1in. from the cake and gently toss crushed candy at the the sides." I thought this was so great that I enlisted the help of everyone to join in the throwing. The cake was a success and the taste was great. The crunch of the candy canes was very fun.
Things I learned from this recipe:
Baking is more fun with helpers!
Would I make this recipe again?:
Sure