Cheesiest Fried Chicken Empanadas with Chili Con Queso Dip

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken, about 4 to 5 chicken breasts
• 1 (8-ounce) package shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 chopped red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
• Water

Directions

Preheat vegetable oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl using a rubber spatula, combine the chicken, colby and Monterey cheese, cream cheese, red pepper, jalapeno, cumin, salt, and pepper. Remove 1 pie crust from pie tin onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining pie crusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. Place empanadas in deep-fryer for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Top with con queso dip.

Note: Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month.

• Chili Con Queso Dip
• 1 pound package Cheddar (recommended: Velveeta)
• 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

In a medium sauce pot, slowly melt Cheddar over medium/low heat. When cheese is fully melted add tomatoes, chiles, and hot sauce, stirring with spoon until combined well.

Pour cheese dip into a small casserole dish and serve as a dip for the cheesy empanadas or pour on top for a real cheesy effect.

Poblano Stuffed with Chorizo, Shrimp and Rice

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound Mexican-style chorizo
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup short-grain rice
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 large, fresh poblano chiles
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup Cheddar, shredded
• 3/4 cup Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat oil and chorizo, cook for 3 minutes. Add peppers, jalapeno, onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, then add rice and cook until all the grains of the rice are coated with oil. Add all liquids and stir over high heat for 3 minutes, cover and reduce heat to low. Check rice for doneness after 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place poblano chiles on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, cut top 1/4 of chile off and remove ribs and seeds.

When rice is finished cooking, fluff with fork and stir in shrimp. Stuff chiles with 1/6 of the rice mixture. Place all the chiles on baking sheet and place into oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, mix cheeses together and cover pepper with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.

Chorizo, Bean and Cheese Nachos

Courtesy of Emeril

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Water
• Homemade Tortilla Chips, recipe below, or large, restaurant style corn tortilla chips
• 1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings
• 5 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or to taste
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, garlic, and cumin, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. To the fat in the pan, add the pinto beans, chili powder, salt, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water (depending on the moisture in the beans). Cook over medium heat until warmed through, smashing with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher until chunky/smooth. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large, oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread 1 layer of chips. Top with a layer of 1/2 of the beans, then 1/2 of the sausage, cheeses, onion rings, and chopped jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Bake until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt. Drizzle over the nachos, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Homemade Tortilla Chips:

9 corn tortillas, cut into quarters

4 cups corn or vegetable oil

Essence, recipe follows

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.

In batches, add the tortillas to the oil, being careful not to overcrowd, and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 1 minute. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with Essence. Serve warm or use to make nachos.

Yield: 3 dozen chips

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Chunky Guacamole

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients

• 4 ripe avocados
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, sliced thinly
• 1 big handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them somewhat chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, and fold everything together to gently mix. Lay a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Smoked Gouda-Chorizo Jalapeno Poppers

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson

Ingredients

• 2 links Mexican chorizo, casings removed
• 1/2 pound smoked gouda, shredded
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce (recommended: Frank's Red Hot)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 large jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and halved

Directions

Special Equipment: parchment paper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Brown chorizo in a skillet over medium-high heat, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place into a large mixing bowl. Add the cheese, red onion, egg, cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and salt and pepper, to taste. Press into jalapeno halves and assemble on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Sugarcane-Skewered Shrimp with Chile-Cilantro Rub

Recipe courtesy Michelle Bernstein

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely
• 1 habanero chile, chopped
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 limes, zested and juiced to 1/4 cup (juice more limes if necessary)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 16 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined
• 8 sugarcane skewers
• Marinade
• 1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, as garnish

Directions

Puree all marinade ingredients in a blender. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade.

Skewer two shrimp per sugarcane and place in marinade and refrigerate. After shrimp has marinated 2 to 3 hours, grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, making sure they are fully cooked.

Serve with a drizzle of the reserved marinade and cilantro, as garnish.

Strawberry and Mascarpone Filled Cupcakes

Courtsey of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla cake mix
• (like Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe French Vanilla cake)
• 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, chilled
• 1/2 cup thawed and drained frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Special equipment: 1 muffin tin

Make the cupcakes according to package instructions. Lightly grease the muffin tin and fill the batter almost to the rim of each muffin cup. Bake according to package directions and let cool.

In a food processor combine the mascarpone cheese, strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Process the mixture until smooth. Transfer the strawberry mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. Push the tip gently into the bottom of a cupcake and squeeze in the strawberry mixture until the cupcake plumps. Continue with the remaining cupcakes.

In a small saucepan bring the 1/2 cup sugar, water, and vanilla extract to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved. In a medium bowl combine the vanilla syrup with the confectioner's sugar. Stir until smooth. Working quickly, use a rubber spatula spread the icing on the top of the cupcakes. If the icing begins to firm up, place in the microwave for a few seconds to warm up again.

Cajun Onion Bloomers

Courtsey of Paula Dean

Ingredients

• Peanut oil, for frying
• 4 large onions
• Beer Batter, recipe follows
• Cajun seasoning, optional
• Ranch dressing, optional

Directions

Fill a large cast iron Dutch oven with enough peanut oil to completely cover an onion by 1-inch. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F over medium heat. Slice top tip of onions off, but do not disturb the root end and gently peel off outer skin. With a paring knife, starting 1/2- inch from the bottom of the onion, slice down to top of onion and continue at 1/4-inch intervals until onion is sliced all the way around (like a mum flower). Gently shake each onion to open the "petals" more. Gently pick up onion and spoon batter onto onion ensuring every part is coated, then gently allow to drain slightly. Carefully place onion root side down into the pan of hot oil and allow it to cook until light brown in color, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove onion with a slotted spoon and use a knife to pull apart petals that are stuck together. Place onion back into the oil but this time top side down. When the onion turns golden brown, about 5 minutes, remove it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining onions. Shake onions with Cajun seasoning and serve with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce.

Beer Batter

2 1/2 cups beer

2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch Cajun seasoning

Pinch salt

Whisk together beer, flour and seasonings; let sit on the counter for several hours.

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (SO YUMMY)

Ingredients

1 C butter

2 C sugar

3 eggs

1 C sour cream

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

4 C flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix butter and sugar, cream for 2 minutes. Add eggs, sour cream, soda and vanilla. Add flour one cup at a time; use as little as possible. If rolling out and making shapes, use enough flour to roll out on board. Cookie may be decorated before baking if colored sugars or whenever they come out the oven. I sprinkled mine with colored sugars before I put in oven. Bake until lightly golden brown on edges, my oven was 12 minutes but they do vary.

Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs

Courtsey of Paula Dean

Ingredients

• 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
• Salt and pepper, for taste
• Paprika, for garnishing
• Sweet gherkin pickles sliced, for garnishing
• Pimentos, for garnishing

Directions

Halve 7 eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.

Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika, pickles and pimentos. Store covered in refrigerator.

Chicken Divan

Courtsey of Paula Dean

Ingredients

• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
• 6 cups shredded chicken, cooked
• 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Cook's Note: Try topping with Cheddar or Gruyere cheese.