The Ultimate Cheese Plate

The best of the best all in one place.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 kinds of cheese (at least one soft)

• Dark chocolate

• Olives

• Marcona almonds or nuts

• Some type of fruit- even just a touch of berries- blueberries or raspberries across the plate looks beautiful 

• Marinated peppers (usually by the olives at the grocery store)

• Mini pickles 

• Some type of salami meat or prosciutto (check out Instagram for inspiration on making salami flowers)

• Your favorite carb: crackers (grab gluten free to make this gluten free), baguette, toast points

1. Start with a really cool base - cutting board, plate or a baking sheet in whatever shape you’d like.

2. Position your cheese first, then your meats.

3. Use your crackers/baguette to fill in the holes

4. Sprinkle in the nuts, fruit and chocolate to finish it off

Other considerations to include:

• Mini pumpkins for fall

• For kids: use fruit, veggies, popcorn, goldfish or granola. Or give them each a theme with a veggie, fruit, meat and cheese and let them create their own.

• Dessert board: think brownies, cookies, fruit, candy

We gathered suggestions near and far on what to include in your cheese plate. Might we suggest following Cheese by the Numbers, That Cheese Plate or Kate’s Cheese Shop on Instagram for continued inspiration?

Apple Highball

Finally, a cocktail that dry January participants and those who choose to close their day with a drink can agree on.

Ingredients

• 1.5 ounces Ritual Zero Proof Whiskey Alternative or your favorite whiskey (for Keto/Paleo, use the whiskey alternative)

• 1 bar-spoon (about a teaspoon) orange marmalade

• Ginger beer (enough to fill the glass)

• Dried apple and orange chips, for garnish

Instructions

1. Combine whiskey/whiskey alternative, marmalade and ginger beer.

2. Give it a good shake, but you don’t have to go too hard for this one. Just mix it up and go.

3. Garnish and serve. And save those apple and orange chips for a late-night snack.

The original recipe is from the Greatist/Alex Pendergrass.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Is there any better combination than chocolate, peanut butter and sugar? Nope.

Ingredients

Sift together:

• 1 3/4 cups of flour (see below for a gluten free option)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream together:

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/3 cups peanut butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Add:

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla, beat well

1. Blend in dry ingredients gradually. Mix thoroughly.

2. Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoon for each.

3. Roll balls into white sugar and place them on greased cooking sheets.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 mins.

5. Top each cookie with a Hershey Kiss, pressing down firmly.

6. Return to oven for 2-5 mins.

Thanks to our mom for this recipe. If you can believe, it’s almost 50 years old as she received it from a friend back in 1972. It’s a mainstay in our household for the holidays and may your family enjoy it as much as we have.

PS: We have made these with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and they’re fantastic.

Holiday Martini

Photo: Kourtney Brooke/TINGE

‘Tis the season to be merry.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) 100% cranberry juice (not sweetened*)

• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Cointreau

• ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons simple syrup or maple syrup*

• For the garnish: cranberries, rosemary sprig

*See link below for modifications if you’re using sweetened cranberry juice…it changes your simple syrup measurements.

1. Place the vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau, lemon juice, and syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 15 seconds until cold.

2. Strain the drink into a cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with cranberries and rosemary and serve.

Thanks to last week’s Water Me Wednesday guest Kourtney Brooke from TINGE for this sharing this A Couple of Cooks recipe! Visit the original recipe on their website for modifications and how to make a larger batch of these babies for a party.

Fall Flatbread

Photo: So Let’s Hang Out

It’s like a pumpkin spice latte but for dinner.

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup coconut flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk

• 3 eggs

Toppings

• 1 delicata squash, de-seeded and cut into circles

• 1 apple, cored and cut into circles

• 1 onion, sliced

• 2-3 cups spinach

• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles (don't like blue cheese? Replace it with goat cheese or any other cheese of your choosing!)

• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash your delicata squash and your apple. Slice the delicata squash into little circles. Once you have sliced it up, using your fingers remove the seeds from the inside of your circles.

3. Core your apple and slice it into thin circles, much like your delicata squash.

4. Toss your delicata squash and apples with a tbs or so of olive oil. Lay flat on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until they are cooked through. You should be able to penetrate the squash easily with a fork, and the apple should have softened a bit.

5. Once they are done, set them aside and start on your crust. Turn your oven temp down to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease with olive oil. Set aside.

6. In a large mixing bowl add your dry ingredients for your crust. This is going to be your coconut flour, baking powder, salt and granulated garlic. Whisk together until well combined.

7. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs and your coconut milk until they are thoroughly combined.

8. Add your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and whisk until everything is well combined and there are no longer lumps. It should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter. If it seems too thin, you can add coconut flour one tbs at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Be careful though, coconut flour is SUPER absorbent.

9. Pour your batter out onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a baking spatula, spread your batter out evenly into a flatbread-like shape. Don't spread it too thin as it could make it crumbly.

10. Bake for 20 minutes. It is done when the batter is set and the top is a light golden-brown color.

11. While your crust bakes, you can caramelize your onions. Heat some olive oil up in a skillet over medium heat. Add in your sliced onions and allow them to caramelize and become a rich brown color. Stir frequently. This will take several minutes. Once your onions caramelize, add in your spinach and cook it down until it wilts. Set aside.

12. Remove your finished crust from the oven and layer it will your ingredients starting with your caramelized onion and spinach mixture. Layer your blue cheese on top of this and then top with your apples and delicata squash. Bake at 375 for 5-7 minutes. Your blue cheese will get melty and your squash will start to sweat.

13. Remove from oven, slice and serve! Enjoy!

The recipe is courtesy of Gina at So Let’s Hangout. We’re not trying to claim we came up with it (we’re followers, not creators when it comes to recipes)! We’re simply sharing her good work. There are great tips (like alternative cheese choices), tricks and great jokes on the original recipe if you’d like to check that out.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip

The OG tailgate treat (i.e. our family favorite) will always leave you fighting over the last bite.

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) cans of chunk chicken, drained (you can also use rotisserie chicken)

• 1 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup ranch dressing

• 3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through.

2. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing.

3. Cook, stirring until well blended and cream cheese is melted.

4. Mix in half of the shredded cheese and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker.

5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover and cook on a low setting until hot and bubbly.

Serve with celery sticks (because healthy…), chips or crackers. 

Loaded Tater Tot Skewers

If you ever wanted to look dainty at a tailgate while eating junk food, here’s the answer. The recipe is from Carissa Stanton at Broccyourbody. Make sure you check out her site where she makes junk food healthier (but still delicious).

Ingredients

• Shredded cheese (I use Mexican cheese)

• Green onions

• Bacon (omit bacon to make vegetarian)

• Ranch

• Or anything you might put on nachos

Instructions

1. I personally cooked the tater tots first then added them to the skewer, but looking back I guess I could have added them while they were frozen too! Anyway, cook your tater tots according to the package.

2. Let cool, add to your skewer and top with shredded Mexican cheese. Bake for another 5ish minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

3. Top with diced crispy bacon, green onion and a drizzle of ranch. Serve with ketchup and ranch for dipping! So easy and delish!!!

Hot Jalapeño Corn Dip

This recipe is a favorite of Brooke, mom of four boys, who knows a little something about keeping everyone happy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 3/4 cups fresh sweet corn (or use 1 can of corn, drained)

• 11 oz can Mexicorn, drained

• 10 oz can Rotel, drained

• 4 oz can diced green chiles, drained

• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic salt, and black pepper.

2. Add the shredded cheese, sweet corn, Mexicorn, Rotel, green chiles, green onions, and cilantro. Stir to coat with the dressing.

3. To serve cold: Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. To serve hot: Spread in a casserole dish and bake at 350˚F for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

5. Serve with corn chips or tortilla chips.

Recipe is courtesy of The Gunny Sack. We’re not trying to claim we came up with it (like we’re that talented)! We’re simply sharing their good work. There are great modifications, tips and tricks, etc. on the original recipe if you’d like to check that out.