5 Easy and Delicious Cracker Topping Appetizers

I love a simple recipe, especially one that takes only minutes to make! Last week was my daughter’s last week of school. To celebrate we had her girlfriends over for a little party. I wanted to make some easy appetizers for them! So when Simple Mills’ sent me some of their NEW Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour Crackers, I knew they were perfect to pair with all kinds of toppings! These delicious crackers are made from a nutrient-dense, three-seed flour blend of sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds! So good!!

Get Creative with Cracker Toppings

As I was brain-storming topping ideas, I realized there are literally hundreds of toppings that would be perfect with these delightfully flaky crackers. Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour Crackers come in THREE yummy flavors — Original, Everything and Garlic & Herb. I also discovered that not only are Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour crackers so good topped with SAVORY toppings, but they also compliment with SWEET toppings too! I’m sharing FIVE different topping recipes and one is a DESSERT topping. YUM! I can’t wait to experiment this summer with MORE cracker topping recipes!

BLT Cracker Topping

Of course I had to create a towering BLT cracker because creamy mayo, crisp lettuce and tomatoes plus tangy cheese pair so well with these light and crispy, seeded organic crackers. It’s the perfect idea to spice up lunch this summer. Have your kids assemble their own BLT sandwiches for lunch!

• Ingredients — Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour crackers, butter lettuce, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, cooked bacon.
• On a Simple Mills Seed Flour Cracker, add a dollop of mayo, a piece of lettuce, cheese, lettuce, tomato and two small pieces of bacon.

Classic Cheddar and Apple Cracker Topping

I had to include a classic with sharp cheddar and sweet, crisp apples. This combination is so good paired with the slightly nutty flavor of the seeded cracker. A match made in heaven!

• Ingredients — Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour crackers, sharp cheddar cheese and your favorite apples. I love gala apples.
• On a Simple Mills Seed Flour Cracker, add two small slices of cheddar cheese and layer three thinly sliced pieces of apple.

Prosciutto and Ricotta Cracker Topping

There’s something perfect about the combination of salty prosciutto and creamy ricotta. Layer those on top of this light and crunchy cracker and you have three amazing sensations — crunchy, creamy and chewy all together in one bite-sized morsel!

• Ingredients — Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour crackers, prosciutto and ricotta cheese. I also added some chives.
• On a Simple Mills Seed Flour Cracker, put a good size dollop of creamy ricotta cheese and a rolled up prosciutto. Top with diced chives.

Pico-Avocado Cracker Topping

I love Mexican food! So I had to include something zesty to the line-up. Whats better than chips and salsa? Pico-Avocado Crackers, that’s what!

• Ingredients — Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour crackers, pico, avocado and cilantro. (I buy my pico pre-made. This makes it so easy.)
• Put a cup of pico in a bowl, take half of an avocado and dice it up. Add the avocado to the pic and mix it together. On a Simple Mills Seed Flour Cracker, add a heaping teaspoon of pico-avocado mixture and top with a sprig of cilantro. It’s a tiny masterpiece!

Nutella Strawberry Coconut Dessert Cracker Topping

I couldn’t leave dessert our of this cracker spread! What’s better on a salty cracker than sweet, nutty nutella? Nothing in my opinion. Add a couple slices of sweet strawberry and a sprinkle of nutty coconut and you have a piece of heaven!

• Ingredients — Simple Mills Organic Seed Flour Crackers, nutella, strawberries and shredded coconut.
• On a Simple Mills Seed Flour Cracker, add a spoonful of nutella, top with two slices of strawberry and sprinkle with coconut.

Bite-Sized Nutritionally Dense Cracker Snacks

These topping ideas are SO easy to make. They are perfect for lunches but also for snacks this summer. I love that these Simple Mills are USDA certified organic. Filled with protein, fiber, & antioxidants, they’re nutrient-dense and the perfect conduit to add healthy and interesting toppings that kids will love! Plus – these tasty crackers deliver protein, fiber, & antioxidants! 

What Topping Would You Put On These Simple Mills Seeded Crackers?

Give these recipes ideas a try! And let me know if you have some topping ideas you love! I’m excited to get creative with new topping combinations on our new favorite Simple Mills seeded crackers!

Where to Find Simple Mill Organic Seeded Crackers

You can find Simple Mills crackers at your local Whole Foods store and at Whole Foods online!

xoxo

The post 5 Easy and Delicious Cracker Topping Appetizers appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

When we visited my mom a few weeks ago she introduced me to her AMAZING Spinach Artichoke Egg Souffles. She and her friend had spent weeks perfecting their favorite Panera souffle. And I have to say, my mom’s version is even BETTER than the Panera version.

Copycat Panera Spinach and Artichoke Souffles

A Spicy Twist on the Popular Panera-Inspired Spinach Artichoke Egg Souffle

Last weekend when all of my kids were visiting I thought it would be fun to try a spin on the spinach artichoke version and make a JALAPENO artichoke egg souffle! I thought a jalapeno version would add just a bit of a kick.

Secret Hacks that Make this Egg Souffle Easy

You see, one of the secrets that makes making these cheese souffles so easy is that we use Costco spinach artichoke dip. I decided to use Costco’s Jalapeno Artichoke dip in this spicier version. It’s very similar to the spinach artichoke dip so I thought it would probably work – and it did!

The other secret way my mom made this recipe easy is she used frozen puff pastry sheets for the flaky crust. This saves so much time and the puff pastry bakes up so flaky and gorgeous!

A Brunch Centerpiece

These egg souffles are so pretty when they are done! They will be the centerpiece of your brunch. They look like they took so much time when in reality it only takes a few minutes to assemble them and then 25 minutes for them to bake.

These Egg Souffles Can Be Reheated

Another reason I love making these cheese souffles is that unlike traditional souffles that you have to serve right away and fall really easily, these souffles remain light and fluffy. I made a few extra and we put them in the fridge. Even warmed up later they were just as good! You could make these souffles even the day before your brunch and then warm them up to save time.

Making the Roux

The term “roux” might sound intimidating, but don’t be afraid. It’s actually really easy to make. You melt the butter, then add milk and flour and whisk the mixture until it gets warm and thick. Then you take it off the heat while you make the rest of the filling.

Serve Cheese Souffles in Ramekins or Pop them Out

The trick to popping the cheese souffles out of the ramekins and serving them on plates is buttering the ramekins. Use a lot of butter and your souffles will be easy to invert onto a plate to serve!

Panera-Inspired Jalapeno Artichoke Egg Souffles

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Panera- inspired Jalapeno Artichoke Egg Souffles

Panera-inspired Jalapeno Artichoke Egg Souffles. Creamy jalapeno artichoke egg filling nest inside light and flaky pastry in this mouth-watering individual-size brunch recipe!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword artichoke souffle, breakfast recipe, brunch recipe, egg recipe, egg souffles, jalapeno souffle, spinach souffle

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1 large egg (for egg wash)
• 1/2 cup Jalapeno Artichoke Dip (Costco)
• 3 T. butter to butter the ramekins
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 1/2 cup cheese (any kind. I used Monterey Jack)

Roux:

• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 T. flour
• 1 cup whole or 2% milk

Instructions

• This recipe makes 4 large cheese souffles or 6 smaller ones. It depends on your ramekin size. 
  
• Preheat oven to 400-degrees 
• Butter ramekins and put frozen dough out to thaw.
• Make Roux.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add milk and flour. Turn heat to medium-low and whisk for 2-3 minutes until mixture gets thick. Take off heat and let cool while you add the puff pastries to the ramekins. 
  
• Spread the puff pastry on your counter. Make sure it is fully thawed. Use a pizza cutter to cut the puff pastry into either 4 sections or 6 sections, depending on the size of your ramekins. 
  
• Take each section and gently pull all four sides with your hands to stretch it. Lay it inside the ramekin and pull the edges up over the top of the ramekin. You will fold these pieces over the filling later. 
  
• Do this to all the puff pastry sections and ramkins. 
  
• In a medium bowl take eggs and whisk them with a little salt and pepper. Add the jalapeno artichoke dip and stir until combined. Add the cooled roux and mix well. Then stir in the shredded cheese. 
  
• Divide the filling into the ramekins. Fold the puff pastry ends over the top of the filling. 
• In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg. Then brush the egg mixture on top of the puff pastry and pop them in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the tops of the pastry are golden brown. 
  
• You can stick a skewer into the middle of the ramekins to make sure the eggs are cooked through. Serve. 
  
• You can let the souffles cool and cover with plastic wrap and reheat for later if you want. Just microwave each ramekin for two minutes on medium heat. Or put them all back in the oven on 300-degrees for 20 minutes. 
  

Brunch Recipes Kids Love

These egg souffles taste amazing and kids love them too! They are perfect to make for brunch because everyone will enjoy them. Plus they are vegetarian which is great for us since my son doesn’t eat meat.

More Amazing Brunch Recipes

Lemon Strawberry Croissant Bake

Protein Waffle Bar

Give this recipe a try! I promise it does NOT disappoint! And will become your go-to brunch recipe!

Have a Delicious Day!

xoxo

The post Panera-Inspired Jalapeno Artichoke Egg Souffles! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

Stuffed Cheesy Mozzarella Pesto Rolls are an easy recipe to whip up using pre-made Rhodes dough. Warm fragrant rolls are stuffed with gooey Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, pesto and basil. It’s the perfect compliment to an Italian Dinner OR a great lunch on it’s own!

Stuffed Cheesy Mozzarella Pesto Rolls

Rhodes Rolls is one of my very favorite companies. I have been making their orange rolls for YEARS every Christmas Eve and Easter Eve. Making and eating those orange rolls has been part of our family traditions. So when they reached out to me to make a recipe using one of their dough products I was so excited!!

There are so many different Rhodes Rolls – dinner rolls, bread loafs, cinnamon rolls, orange rolls and Texas rolls! For this recipe I used Rhodes Texas Rolls to make these hearty stuffed cheesy mozzarella pesto rolls. Rhodes rolls bake up so well with a crusty outside layer and the yummiest soft and delicious inside. You stuff two kinds of cheese, lots of mozzarella, pesto and basil inside and the combination is wonderful!

Bake these rolls in a muffin tin

I love that the muffin tin makes the rolls all uniform and I it makes stuffing the rolls easier. All I did was sprayed the tin with some non-stick cooking spray. Then I put one of the thawed Rhodes Texas rolls in each tin.

How to Stuff the Rolls

To stuff the rolls, I poked my finger in the middle of each roll inside the muffin tin and spread the roll apart so there was a little pocket. Then I put a spoonful of pesto at the bottom, followed by three of the small mozzarella cubes, a pinch of  the chopped up basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Once I had all of the ingredients inside of the roll, I pulled up the sides of the roll to join it at the top and pinched it all together, making a seam to close the dough over the top of the stuffed ingredients. Then I took the whole thing out of the muffin enclosure and flipped it over so that the seam was on the bottom. This way the seam stays closed and it bakes shut in the oven. I did this for each roll, flipping each one over until they were all stuffed.

Once the rolls were all stuffed, I added 2 tablespoons of butter to the remaining pesto and popped it into the microwave to melt it. Then I took a pastry brush and brushed each roll with the butter/pesto mixture and sprinkled a little of the left over chopped basil on top of the rolls.

I baked the rolls in my oven at 350-degrees for 30 minutes. You will know that the rolls are done when you check the bottom of one and it is golden brown. When they came out of the oven I brushed a little more of the pesto/butter mixture over the top and served them!

Kids Love these Stuffed Cheesy Pesto Rolls

My kids LOVED this recipe!! We had a couple left over and they were even better warmed up later. These rolls are an amazing alternative to regular sandwiches! I baked up another batch for lunches!! Once they came out of the oven and cooled down I put each one in a separate baggie and stored them in the fridge. The kids loved taking them to school and they also were a hit as an after-school snack!!

Here is the recipe for Stuffed Cheesy Mozzarella Pesto Rolls:

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Stuffed Cheesy Mozzarella Pesto Rolls

Stuffed Cheesy Mozzarella Pesto Rolls are an easy recipe to whip up using pre-made Rhodes dough. Warm fragrant rolls are stuffed with gooey Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, pesto and basil. It's the perfect compliment to an Italian Dinner OR a great lunch on it's own! 

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 12 Rolls Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed
• 1 cup pesto sauce
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 1.5 cups Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped

Instructions

• Turn oven on 350-degrees.
• Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
• Put one thawed Rhodes Texas roll in each muffin tin opening
• Poke finger inside the middle of roll dough. Insert a spoonful of pesto, three cubes of Mozzarella cheese, pinch of chopped basil, pinch of Parmesan cheese. 
• Bring sides of roll dough up to the center, covering the stuffed ingredients. Pinch all of the side together, creating a seam. 
• Take stuffed roll out of muffin tin opening and flip it over, so the seam is on the bottom of the muffin tin. 
• Do this with all 12 rolls. 
• When all of the rolls have been stuffed and flipped over, brush the top of the rolls with melted butter and remaining pesto sauce. 
• Bake the rolls in the oven for 30 minutes. The rolls are done when the bottom of the rolls are golden brown. 
• Take rolls out of oven and brush with remaining melted butter/pesto mixture. Serve! 

Give them a try! I think they will make it onto your regular meal rotation! 

Rhodes rolls are so handy to have in the freezer. You can make ALL kinds of wonderful recipes with their rolls. Be sure to follow Rhodes Rolls on their social media channels for fast and easy recipes and coupons too!

 Rhodes Rolls 

Rhodes Rolls on Facebook 

Rhodes Rolls on Instagram 

Rhodes Rolls on Pinterest 

Have a Yummy Day!

xoxo

The post Stuffed Cheesy Mozzarella Pesto Rolls appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

Basil Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Bake. Layers of tomato basil pasta sauce, creamy gnocchi, crisp breaded chicken, fresh basil and gooey cheese are baked for a hearty Italian dish everyone loves! Add buttery garlic knots that you bake in the bag and are perfect for busy families and beautiful dish you can serve to your family or to wow visitors!

Everyone is busy! That’s why I really try to come up with meals that are easy, convenient, nutritious and also ones that my kids will love. When I  heard abotu Walmart’s Sam’s Choice Italia line of hand-crafted products sourced in Italy, I was all for giving it a try. I’ve been really impressed and I have a recipe we have perfected that I would love to share – I think I’ve come up with a winner – Basil Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Bake.

I am really excited about the Sam’s Choice Italia line! First of all, the prices are amazing. Secondly, they save me time. For example, the Four Cheese Gnocchi is packaged with a special cheese sauce that is so yummy. All I had to do to make it was add water, gnocchi and the sauce packet and in less than 10 minutes I had creamy cheesy gnocchi ready to go! The cheese tastes like I imagine it does in Italy. There’s parmigiano reggiano, romano and gorgonzola cheeses all combining for a taste explosion.

Everything in this recipe is made using products from the new Sam’s Choice Italia line and other fresh ingredients found in Walmart’s grocery department like chicken breasts, fresh tomatoes, cheeses and of course fresh basil. And the Sam’s Choice Italia pasta sauces are awesome and there is a huge assortment – alfredo sauce, puttanesca sauce, napoletana pasta sauce. The entire line is hand-crafted in Italy and directly imported to the US.

This Basil Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Bake is great for busy families like mine because the time is cut down by using the Sam’s Choice Italia Gnocchi as well as using an Air Fryer. Of course, if you don’t have an Air Fryer you can cook the chicken in your skillet on the stove top! And all of the ingredients are layered in one dish which you just pop in the oven and it bakes away while you get the rest of the meal together. You start with a layer of Sam’s Choice Italia Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce on the bottom of the skillet, then the next layer is the creamy gnocchi, then add slices of fresh mozzarella and basil, top that with your crispy breaded chicken breasts, then the rest of the pasta sauce, diced mozzarella, basil and Parmesan cheese. Pop it in the oven and in 15 minutes you serve your family the most gorgeous, bubbling Italian layered main dish.

Another thing I love as a busy, working mom is the Marketside Garlic Knots! They save SO much time. These garlic knots are all ready to go. I love that you bake them at home so they come fresh and hot out of the oven. AND you cook them directly in the bag which saves time – plus you don’t have clean another baking dish! WIN! You can grab them in Walmart’s bakery area.

I popped my skillet bake in the oven and then just tossed the Marketside Garlic Knot bag right next to the skillet when there was 9 minutes left and they both came out together and dinner was served!! Marketside also makes two different varieties of these garlic knots – Savory and Three Cheese. There are 8 in a bag which is perfect for our family.

Head over to Walmart and check out the new Sam’s Choice Italia line of products hand crafted in Italy and make this Basil Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Bake:

Print

Basil Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Bake

Basil Chicken Gnocchi Skillet Bake. Layers of basil pasta sauce, creamy gnocchi, crisp breaded chicken, fresh basil and gooey cheese are baked for a hearty Italian dish everyone loves! Add buttery garlic knots that you bake in the bag and are perfect for busy families and a and beautiful dish you can serve to your family or to wow visitors! 

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 package Italia Four Cheese Gnocchi (13 oz.)
• 1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1 cup Flour
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 pound fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 bottle Italia Basil Pasta Sauce
• 1/2 cup fresh Basil, chopped
• 2 large Chicken Breasts
• 1 package Marketplace Garlic Knots (rolls)
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees 
• Cook gnocchi according to package instructions. When done put in a bowl. 
• Cut chicken breasts in half, butterflying them so they are half as thick. 
• In three bowls -- 2 eggs whisked, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 1 cup flour. Dip each butterflied chicken breast in first the flour, then whisked eggs, then the breadcrumbs. 
• Put butterflied chicken breasts in airfryer and cook on 35-degrees for 12 minutes. I had to do the chicken breasts in 2 batches. If you don't have an airfryer you can cook the breaded chicken in the skillet on the stove. Cooking in 1/2 cup of oil for 5 minutes on each side. 
• Layer your items in the skillet for the skillet bake. 1. Pour 1/2 of the bottled pasta sauce on the bottom of the skillet. 2. scoop gnocchi on top of the pasta sauce. 3. Layer sliced mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. 4. Layer breaded chicken breasts. 5. Layer chopped Mozzarella cheese, chopped tomatoes  and more grated Parmesan cheese and basil. 
• Bake at 375-degrees for 15 minutes. When there is 9 minutes left on baking time, pop the package of Marketplace Garlic Knots in the same oven as the skillet. 
• Serve! 

Give it a try! And be sure to check out Walmart’s new Sam’s Choice Italia line of products. I think you will love them as much as I do!

You can find out more about Sam’s Choice Italia line here.

Have a Delicious Day! 

xoxo

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If you follow me @taterttosandjello on Instagram you probably know I am a little obsessed with my Instant Pot. I seriously use it almost every single day. It just saves me so much time and works really well with our lifestyle.

I’ve made some pretty complicated dishes with our Instant Pot but I’ve found that the dishes that we make consistently and most often are the easiest ones. This is a dinner idea for those days when you are running out of time and need to come up with something quickly using mostly things in your pantry. You can keep the ingredients for this dinner in your pantry and you will know that you ALWAYS have a back-up dinner idea. That’s a great feeling!

You might wonder why I would make this dinner idea in my Instant Pot instead of just cooking it on the stovetop.

The reason I love this recipe in the Instant Pot is:

1. It requires no babysitting. Unlike cooking pasta on my stovetop, I don’t have to watch it and make sure it doesn’t boil over. I put it in the IP and I can go get the salad ready or help my gir;s’ with homework while it cooks.

2. The pressure in the Instant Pot makes the sauce cook more fully and gives it a creamier, thicker consistency. I used Walmart’s new Italia Napoletana which I love because it’s full of chunky cherry tomatoes.

This is a basic recipe that most people will love. My kids love pasta, my son is pescatarian and this is one we can all eat and enjoy together. But you can absolutely add chicken or meatballs too.

This is also a one-pot meal which makes clean up easier! All you have to do is add the pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes, penne pasta and 2 cups of water in the Instant pot. Then stir it around and put the lid on and set the pressure to 8 minutes. The Instant Pot will come up to pressure, cook the pasta and then come back down to normal pressure and you have the perfect meal for a busy night.

I added some garlic rolls and a salad and it was perfect for us!

Here’s the recipe for Instant Pot EASY Basil Penne Pasta:

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Instant Pot EAST Basil Penne Pasta Dinner

Whip up this easy dish of creamy tomato sauce and hearty penne pasta in minutes. The Instant Pot's pressure makes the pasta sauce creamier and more flavorful. You can keep the ingredients in your pantry for a last-minute dinner idea. 

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 13 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Pasta Sauce. I used Italia Napolitana from Walmart 24 ounces
• 1 container crushed tomatoes. 12 ounces
• 1/2 Tsp. crushed basil
• 2 cups water
• 1 package penne pasta, 1 pound.

Instructions

• Put pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes, crushed basil, water and penne pasta in Instant Pot liner pot. Stir to mix.
• Put lid on Instant Pot. Lock in place. Set time at high temperature for 8 minutes. 
• Let Instant Pot come up to pressure and cook the pasta for 8 minutes. 
• When Instant Pot is done cooking, let the pressure naturally release.
• Open Instant Pot when pressure is down to normal. Put pasta in a serving dish. Serve! Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Give it a try! 

And here is why we love our Instant Pot and a few other Instant Pot recipes we love to make:

Tex Mex Pressure Cooker Soup

Instant Pot Crustless Quiche

Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

The Easiest Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

(I made these over the weekend – so good!!)

Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Bisque Soup

If you are looking into getting an Instant Pot, you can order it on Amazon and it will come right to your house.

They have great prices and sales too!

Have a YUMMY day!!

xoxo

The post Instant Pot EASY Basil Penne Pasta Dinner appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.