Vidalia Onion Meatloaf

Meatloaf often gets a bad rap. If you don’t have a good recipe, this dish may come out too dry, too greasy, or too bland. With the right ingredients, however, meatloaf can become a family favorite.

First, it’s important to choose the right meat. Using a fatty meat, such as cheaper ground beef cuts, will leave your meatloaf greasy and flavorless. Instead, choose a lean cut with a lower fat content.

Next, your meatloaf should use a combination of eggs and liquid, such as sauces, to keep it moist. As you’ll see in the recipe below, it’s important to evaluate your mixture before cooking. If it seems too dry, it’s a good idea to add a bit of milk until it reaches the right consistency.

Lastly, make sure your meatloaf is rich in flavor. In our recipe, we use our Vidalia Onion dip mix, ketchup, and steak sauce to flavor the meat mixture. We also add a tasty sauce to add an extra punch.

With these tips and the recipe below, you can discover a new love for this delicious dish!

Vidalia Onion Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Lean Ground Beef

1/2 cup Buttery Round Crackers, crushed

3/4 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 pkg. Simply Savory Vidalia Onion Dip Mix

2 Eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Ketchup

2 Tbsp. Steak Sauce

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Stir the ground beef, crushed crackers, cheddar cheese, and Vidalia Onion dip mix in a large bowl until well combined.
3. Whisk the eggs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and steak sauce in a separate bowl until smooth.
4. Blend the egg mixture into the meat until well combined. If the mixture seems too dry, add a little water.
5. Press the meat mixture into a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
6. Mix together all the glaze ingredients, then spread over top of the meatloaf.
7. Bake in preheated oven until the meatloaf reaches 160° F and is no longer pink in the center, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Sea Salt Caramel Mini Dessert Cups

Did you know that salt can help bring out the flavor in sweet dishes? Along with this undercover work, salt is often used to add the perfect touch to desserts, including sea salt caramel! The combination of a sweet taste, which our taste buds love, and salt, which our body needs, tells our brains that these dishes are exactly what we need.

First developed in the late 1970s by a French chocolatier, salted caramel has become increasingly popular over the last decade or so. We added this flavor to our line of dessert dips because we love it ourselves. To no one’s surprise, it has become our #1 dessert flavor!

For our recipe this week, we’ve put together a dessert that you can make in minutes and enjoy with little fuss! Are you ready to try this sea salt caramel goodness?

Sea Salt Caramel Mini Dessert Cups

 Ingredients:

1 package Simply Savory Sea Salt Caramel Dessert Dip Mix

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 (8oz.) container Cool Whip

24 Mini Phyllo Cups or Shells

Whipped Topping, optional

Caramel Sauce, optional

  Directions:

1. Combine Sea Salt Caramel with the softened cream cheese. 
2. Fold in the Cool Whip. 
3. Use a spoon or a piping bag to fill each shell. 
4. Optional, top each mini dessert with whipped topping then with caramel sauce.

Slow Cooker Spicy Garlic Beef

Slow cooker meals are perfect for busy schedules. Throw your meal in before you leave for the day and have it ready to go by the time you get home. Many slow cooker meals can be used in a variety of ways, which can help when your pantry is bare.

This week’s recipe is a Slow Cooker Spicy Garlic Beef, which can be used for several meal options, including:

• You can use the beef as a filling for tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, chimichangas, quesadillas, or as a nacho topping;
• You can serve the beef on a bun, and add barbeque sauce, if desired;
• You can serve the beef on a hoagie bun with sautéed onions & peppers, then top with cheese and broil the sandwich slightly to melt cheese; or
• You can use the beef in your chili or stew. 

However you decide to use it, you’re sure to love it!

Slow Cooker Spicy Garlic Beef

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 to 3 lb Boneless Beef Chuck Roast

1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt 

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 pkg Simply Savory Spicy Garlic Dip Mix

1/2 cup Water

Instructions: 

1. Trim the fat from the beef roast. Rub all sides of the roast with the kosher salt.  Mix the Spicy Garlic with 2 tbsp. olive oil, then rub all over the roast. 
2. Place the roast in the slow cooker. Add the 1/2 cup water to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. The meat should be very tender when done. 
3. Remove from the slow cooker, let cool slightly, then shred the beef using two forks, or slice the beef as desired.  Skim off the fat from the juices remaining in the slow cooker, discard the fat, and pour the juices over the shredded beef.

Apple Cheesecake Bars

There are many things that are quintessentially American. Blue jeans, football, rock and roll, baseball, and, our personal favorite, apple pie.

As we get ready to celebrate Independence Day this weekend, we are featuring a recipe that uses the perfect dip for the occasion: Apple Pie! These cheesecake bars are quick to make and so yummy – the best option for your 4th of July celebrations!

Apple Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients
½ cup Butter, softened

1 cup White Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1 medium to large Apple, peeled, cored, and diced

1 cup Flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 (8 oz.) package Cream Cheese

1 Egg

1 package Simply Savory Apple Pie Dip Mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, one egg, and vanilla.  
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  
4. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until blended. Fold in the apples.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
6. Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until creamy. Mix in the Apple Pie dessert mix and one egg.
7. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the apple cake layer.
8. Bake for 35 minutes.

Tuscan Garlic Pork Chops

Pork chops are a delicious, but often overlooked option for everyday meals. In our recipe this week, we’re giving you a tips for cooking moist and flavorful pork chops for your next meal!

First, make sure your pork chops are room temperature. When the meat is still cold from the fridge, it won’t cook evenly and may leave some parts too dry when you’re done cooking. A good way to achieve the right temperature is to let the meat sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes before putting it in the oven.

Seasoning is also essential. Our recipe calls for an entire packet of our dip mix so be sure to thoroughly season your pork chops. These flavors will give your pork chops the delicious taste you’re looking for.

And last but certainly not least, take extra care to only cook your pork chops until they reach 160°F. Any hotter and you will dry out the meat. Any less and you are putting your health at risk.

Now let’s get cooking!

Tuscan Garlic Pork Chops

 Ingredients:

8 Boneless Pork Chops (1/2 inch thick)

1 cup plain Bread Crumbs

 ¼ tsp Salt

 1 package Simply Savory Tuscan Garlic Dip Mix

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet that has a rim with foil. 
2. In a gallon-size ziploc bag, mix bread crumbs, salt, and Tuscan Garlic dip mix. 
3. Rinse pork chops in cold running water, letting the excess water drain off. 
4. Place pork chops, one at a time, in the bag with the bread crumb mixture. Seal the bag and shake to coat the pork chop. 
5. Place the pork chop on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pork chops. 
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pork chop’s internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

Cornbread is one of the tastiest, most versatile sides you can add to a meal. You can enjoy it with a delicious BBQ dinner or a pot of your favorite chili recipe. Make it in a loaf pan, a shallow dish, muffin tin, or even on the stove as Johnny Cakes!

There are also numerous ways to flavor your cornbread. Some people enjoy a sweet cornbread, particularly for southern BBQ food. For an even sweeter cornbread, you can pair it with butter and honey. Want to add some texture? Mix pre-cooked corn kernels into the batter. The options are only limited by your imagination.

Personally, we enjoy cornbread that offers a blend of cheese and heat. In our recipe this week, we’re using our Cheddar Jalapeno dip to make a flavorful cornbread that pairs with a variety of meals. Give our recipe below a try and let us know what you think!

Cheddar Jalapeno Cornbread

Ingredients:

⅔ cup Margarine, softened

⅔ cup White Sugar

2 cups Cornmeal

1 ⅓ cups All-Purpose Flour

4 ½ tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 packet Simply Savory Cheddar Jalapeno Dip Mix

3 large Eggs

1 ⅔ cups Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Beat margarine and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, Simply Savory Cheddar Jalapeno, and salt in another bowl.
4. Stir eggs and milk in a third bowl.
5. Pour 1/3 milk mixture and 1/3 flour mixture alternately into margarine mixture; whisk until just mixed, then repeat until done.
6. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan.
7. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing.

Tavern Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a common and wildly popular dish for many, especially children. But, even if you’ve even eaten more than your weight in cheesy goodness, how much do you actually know about this dish? Here are some fun facts about macaroni and cheese:

1. Macaroni and cheese is America’s number one cheese recipe.
2. In any given three-month period, about 30% of the United State’s population will have macaroni and cheese at least one time. And that includes approximately 50% of all children in the U.S.
3. Cheddar cheese is the cheese most often used for mac and cheese.
4. Kraft sells over a million boxes of macaroni and cheese every day, a product first introduced in 1937.
5. Macaroni and cheese has consistently remained on the list of favorite kid’s foods.
6. It is also consistently one of the top ten comfort foods in the U.S.
7. Burgundy wine is the best wine to pair with mac and cheese.
8. Crayola has offered a macaroni and cheese color since 1993.

Now that we know more about this dish, you can use the recipe below to enjoy the best macaroni and cheese you’ve ever tasted!

Tavern Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1 package Simply Savory Tavern Cheddar Dip Mix

1 (8 oz.) package Cream Cheese, softened

½ cup Sour Cream

1 (16 oz.) package Elbow Macaroni

Directions:

1. Mix the Tavern Cheddar dip mix with softened cream cheese and sour cream.
2. Boil macaroni according to macaroni package directions.
3. Drain & return to pan on low heat.  
4. Stir in prepared Tavern Cheddar, until all of the pasta is coated.

Crescent Veggie Patch Pizza

For many, pizza is forever linked to happy moments in childhood. End-of-year events at school, birthday parties at the bowling alley or skating rink, sleepovers with your best friends. Enjoying gooey, cheesy pizza was always the best meal.

For our recipe this week, we’ve put together a recipe that captures all the deliciousness of pizza, topped with fresh veggies to add extra flavor. Plus, it all sits on a flaky crust that everyone loves: crescent rolls!

If you want to throwback to the best days of yesteryear, give this recipe a try!

Crescent Veggie Patch Pizza

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated Crescent Rolls

2 (8 oz) packages Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 pkg. Simply Savory Veggie Patch Dip

5 cups chopped Fresh Vegetables, such as Broccoli, Tomatoes, Red & Green Bell Peppers, Cauliflower, or shredded Carrots

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9×13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza.
3. Bake crust for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
4. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 15 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Veggie Patch dip mix. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.
6. Arrange the fresh veggies over the cream cheese layer. Top with the cheddar cheese. 
7. Chill for one hour, slice and serve.

Garden Spinach Roll-Ups

Happy Summer Break!

Now that kids are out of school for the summer, parents are gearing up for a summer of fun! If you are planning to take your kids on day trips or just out to the park, it’s important to have easy, yummy lunch options.

Our recipe this week is designed for quick prep and mess-free eating. You can make these roll-ups the morning of your adventure, adding the veggies your kids love to eat. Then, just pull them out at lunchtime for a simple and tasty lunch!

They also make great mid-afternoon snacks and party appetizers! No matter the occasion, our Garden Spinach Roll-Ups are a hit among all ages!

Garden Spinach Roll-Ups 

For each wrap you will need:

1/3 cup cooked Chicken (rotisserie chicken is quick & easy)

1 Tbsp. finely shredded Cheese (use your favorite kind)

2 Tbsp. prepared Simply Savory Garden Spinach Dip

1 Tortilla (use your favorite flavor)

Optional veggie additions:

Diced Celery

Diced Green Onions

Diced Red or Green Pepper

Water Chestnuts, drained & chopped

Shredded Carrots

Shredded Lettuce

Shredded Purple Cabbage

Directions:

1. Mix the chicken, cheese and Garden Spinach dip together. 
2. Put the mixture on the tortilla, and top with your desired veggies.
3. Tightly roll the tortilla and cover with plastic wrap. 
4. Chill overnight, then slice each roll into 1 inch pieces.

Here Comes The Reaper Roll-Ups

When you’re looking for a dip that packs a punch, you don’t need to look any further than our The Reaper dip. This dip balances the world-famous heat of the Carolina Reaper pepper with garlic, onion, and herbs for a flavor you can’t help but come back to.

Before we get into our weekly recipe, let’s learn a bit more about the Carolina Reaper pepper!

• The Carolina Reaper is so spicy that professionals recommend wearing gloves just to hold it..
• The Carolina Reaper pepper measures 1.5 million on the Scoville scale, the measurement used to evaluate spiciness. To put this in perspective, this pepper is 400 times spicier than Jalapeno peppers, which only have a 3,500 score on the Scoville scale.
• Unlike Jalapenos, the Carolina Reaper doesn’t get its heat from its seeds. Instead, the white flesh around the seeds is the spiciest part.

Ready to try this dip for yourself? Use the recipe below for an easy and delicious snack!

Here Comes The Reaper Roll-Ups

Ingredients:
2 blocks Cream Cheese (16 oz total), softened
1 pkg. Simply Savory The Reaper Dip Mix, unprepared
4.25 oz. can Chopped Black Olives, drained
4 oz. can Green Chili Peppers, drained (minced, optional)
4-6 Flour Tortillas, 12″*

Directions:

1. With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and The Reaper Dip Mix. Stir in olives and peppers.
2. With a butter knife or spatula, spread mixture, about 1/8″ thick, evenly onto a tortilla.
3. Roll the tortilla tightly and set aside.  Secure with a toothpick if needed.            
4. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you run out of spread.  Using a sharp knife, slice rolls into 1″ sections. Wipe the knife blade with a damp paper towel every few slices.            
5. Arrange rolls close together on a platter, stacking in a pyramid shape if necessary.         
6. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.                          

 *Tortillas are easier to roll when they are at room temperature.