The “Big Game” is coming up, are you ready? Millions of us will gather with family and friends on Sunday February 1st to watch a (hopefully) suspense-filled football game while enjoying tasty snacks and appetizers. If you are hosting, delicious appetizers are a must.

Chef Natalie, our “Chef in Residence” has been hard at working creating tasty party recipes using only the best ingredients. Click here to see our growing recipe collection of salads, soups, appetizers and entrees to delight your taste buds.

Score major points with these crowd pleasing appetizer dishes for your big bash using Jeff’s Naturals™ non-GMO products:

Spicy Queso Dip

¼ c. butter
¼ c. flour
2 c. whole milk
4 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 c. Jeff’s Naturals Diced Tamed Jalapeño Peppers, drained with brine reserved
1 c. Jeff’s Naturals Roasted Bell Pepper Strips, drained and rough chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is pale yellow and frothy, about 1-2 minutes. Do not allow the roux to brown.

Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese, one cup at a time, and whisk until melted. Next, stir in the jalapenos and roasted peppers. If the sauce seems too thick, thin with some of the jalapeno brine or milk until you achieve the desired consistency.

Great dip with chips or drizzled over broccoli or baked potatoes.

Creamy Jalapeño Dip

1/4 c. mayo
1/2 c. cream cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 c. Jeff’s Naturals™ Diced Tamed Jalapeños, add brine to taste as well
1/2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. Serve warm or cold with crackers or a sliced baguette.

Grilled Pizza with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion

1 favorite store bought frozen pizza dough (makes 2 small pizzas)
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
½ c. Jeff’s Naturals™ Roasted Bell Peppers & Caramelized Onions
1 jar pizza sauce
½ c. bacon crumbles or cooked Italian sausage crumbles
½ c. blue cheese crumbles

Heat grill on high heat. When grill is heated, brush olive oil on grill grates, use half the pizza dough and roll out and stretch until desired thickness is achieved. Carefully lay dough onto oiled grill. Dough will start to bubble and char. After about 2-3 minutes, flip dough over and spoon on some pizza sauce. Evenly distribute peppers and onions. Sprinkle blue cheese and bacon crumbles on top. If adding olives, add those as well. Grill for about 2-3 minutes and slice and serve hot.

Cheese Stuffed Fried Green Olives

1 wedge of manchego cheese, or your favorite cheese
1 jar Jeff’s Naturals™ Whole Castelvetrano Olives, drained & pitted
1 c. flour
3 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c. panko bread crumbs, ground finely
Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Cut the manchego cheese into small rectangle pieces so they’ll fill the hole of the olive. Place one cheese plug into the center of each olive. Prepare the breading station with 3 separate shallow bowls. Use one for flour, one for eggs, last one for panko. Drop the stuffed olives into the flour first, remove and gently shake off any excess, place into beaten eggs to coat, then drop into panko and roll around until fully covered with breadcrumbs.

Heat a few inches of oil in a saucepan to 350º F. Fry olives in small batches until golden brown in color. Remove with a slotted spoon and place olives onto a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

Supreme Artichoke Dip

1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ c. parmesan cheese, shredded
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ c. mayonnaise
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and rough chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ Tbsp. Jeff’s Naturals™ Tamed Diced Jalapeno Peppers
¼ c. Jeff’s Naturals™ Roasted Bell Pepper Strips, drained and diced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400º F. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Place into an 8×8 baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with pita chips or bread cubes for dipping.

Baked Jalapeño Stuffed Olive Cheddar Puffs

4 oz. butter (softened)
1 c. all purpose flour
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 Tbs water
1 jar Jeff’s Naturals® Jalapeno Stuffed Olives (drained)

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for several minutes. Add in the flour, cheese and spices. Mix for one minute, add the hot sauce and water and mix until combined. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

Once the dough is chilled, scoop one tablespoon at a time. Press the dough flat in the palm of your hand. Place an olive in the center and wrap the dough around the olive and roll into a ball shape. Once wrapped, chill the balls for 10 minutes in the freezer.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400º F. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve this appetizer warm.

photo credit: runneralan2004 via photopin cc