Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread Bites

The other day I was trying to come up with an appetizer for my monthly bunco night. I was craving a spinach artichoke dip ... the yummy, cheesy kind that I tend to eat all too much of whenever it's placed in front of me! Hmmm ... maybe if I could find a way to make a bite size version, I would not eat the entire bowl.

Now don't get me wrong, this recipe is in no way dietetic or healthy, but at least there's a little portion control involved. Anyway, I decided to take my grandmother's famous cheesy bread recipe, throw in some chopped spinach and artichoke, top it on sliced baguette pieces, and broil it for a few minutes. The result, ahhhhmazing!!! Unfortunately, I still ate more than my share. But I was thrilled to come up with a simple, crowd pleasing recipe! This is the perfect recipe for friends over for football, a holiday party, or just because you too are craving some spinach artichoke dip :)

By the way, you can make the spread ahead of time (up to 48 hours) and spread it on the bread right before you are ready to broil it. This really is an all around fabulous recipe!

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread Bites
A Simple Spice Original, inspired by Grandma Caroline

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1 baguette, sliced on a bias


In a medium sized bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Parmesan, spinach, and artichoke until combined. Spread a generous dollop of the mixture evenly over each slice of bread. Place bread slices on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler (on high) for 3-5 minutes. Be sure to watch it closely as it broils, because it can burn quickly. Remove from the broiler as soon the cheese mixture becomes golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.
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Crock Pot Italian Chicken

I know this recipe isn't breaking news. In fact I've seen it for years in magazines, cook books, and more recently on blogs. But I've never actually made it. To be honest the ingredients didn't really appeal to me. As I've mentioned before, I love crock pot cooking, but I really try not to use too many "cream of whatever" or processed ingredients. But, with so many great organic options on the market I decided to make a slightly healthier version. I found an organic cream of chicken soup and an organic dry Italian dressing packet at our local Sprouts Grocery Store for about what I'd pay for the regular options. Obviously, the regular options are fine to use too, but if you can get your hands on these products (pictured below) or something similar, I highly recommend it. Also, when crock pot cooking, I always try to throw in a few extra fresh ingredients. So with this one, I added fresh mushrooms, and topped it with fresh Italian parsley and fresh toasted breadcrumbs. Honestly, I think those ingredients made all the difference. All in all, I get why this recipe has stood the test of time. It's easy, family friendly, and with a few tweaks, fairly healthy.


Crock Pot Italian Chicken
Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

4 chicken breasts

1 packet dry Italian dressing

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened (light can be substituted)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
Serve with pasta or rice (I prefer whole wheat pasta)

Directions:

Place the chicken in a crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing over it. Combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup in a small pot over low heat and pour over chicken. Add in mushrooms. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. You can leave it in there all day. Once chicken is done you can leave the chicken breasts whole, cube it, or even shred it. Mine naturally shredded as I mixed it before serving.

Just before serving, melt butter in a saute pan. Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown.

Serve chicken over pasta or rice (I used whole wheat pasta). Top with breadcrumbs and Italian parsley.
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Baked Creamy Chicken Flautas

Let me start by saying I was skeptical when I first saw this recipe. When you are born and raised in Southern California, you know good Mexican food. And quite honestly I don't really like to stray from the classic recipes when it comes to Mexican staples like flautas. Okay, let's be honest, I'm usually not the one doing the cooking, I usually call up my favorite little restaurant, Las Barcas and let them make it for me! But when I saw this simple and somewhat healthier version, I thought I'd give it a whirl and I am so glad I did!

This is a perfect recipe for busy week nights. The flautas are quick to assemble and pop in the oven. Better yet, you can prep ahead of time and bake right before you are ready to eat. I made them for both my family and my parents (all of us Mexican food lovers) and everyone devoured them. Served with some black beans and fruit you have a perfect, family friendly meal. But, I think they would also be great as an appetizer, if you cut them up into smaller bite size pieces.

The original recipe called for corn tortillas (making them taquitos), but I thought flour would crisp up in the oven better. Either way, this recipe is definitely a keeper for my busy night menus.


Baked Creamy Chicken Flautas
Adapted from Our Best Bites

3 ounces cream cheese, softened (I popped mine in the microwave for about 30 seconds)
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese (pepper jack if you want a spicier version)
small flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 425˚F.

Mix together the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic in a large bowl. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 15-20 seconds worked for me).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the flautas are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

Simple Spice is Back! Let's Start Simple ...

I am embarrassed to even admit this, but it has been a more than a year since I last posted. To be fair, we did undergo a major home renovation at the end of last summer, and I guess I just got out of the habit of blogging. It's not like we haven't been cooking. In fact, I have been cooking up a storm in our beautiful new kitchen. I think I just put too much pressure on myself to have a perfect plate put together before I grab my camera and photograph it. So let's get one thing out there, moving forward, some days I may have a great shot of my latest creation and other days I may just grab the iPhone and take a quick shot before my ravenous family digs into our meal. I really do miss my blog, and I hope you will reconnect with me as I share what's been cooking :)

To start things off, I wanted to share this amazingly simple appetizer I threw together for my bunco group last month. It's perfect for summer entertaining because it requires absolutely no cooking and uses some of the best ingredients summer has to offer in southern California, fresh strawberries and basil!

Summer Strawberry Bruchetta
Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1 cup strawberries,diced

1 tbsp. sugar

1 french baguette sliced on a bias

4 oz. goat cheese 

¼ cup minced basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:


Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small bowl; toss to combine. Let the berries macerate for about 30 minutes so that they begin to release their juices. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on top of each baguette slice. Top each slice with spoonfuls of the strawberry mixture. Top each slice with the basil leaves. Just before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with pepper.
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