Arrabiata Meatballs with Tomatoes and Basil

It's Super Bowl Sunday!  We decided to keep it a mellow one at home, as we had a fun-filled weekend with family and friends, birthday parties and sports games.  My son invited a few of his friends over, so I made sure to make enough food to feed a houseful of hungry boys.  First on the menu, these amazing meatballs with arrabiata sauce, diced tomatoes and fresh basil. These were so incredibly easy to make and {more importantly}, I love that the Crock Pot did all the work! This is a great appetizer {or entree if you like}, to serve for Game Day or any group gathering.  You can serve these as an appetizer with toothpicks, in a pasta bowl with parmesan on top or over a bed of pasta noodles.
Good luck to the Patriots and Giants!!

Ingredients:

• 1 {20 oz} pkg pre-cooked/frozen mini party size meatballs {I use Trader Joe's frozen meatballs}
• 1 {25 oz} jar arrabiata sauce {I use Trader Joe's arrabiata sauce, but any favorite of yours will do}
• 1 {14.5 oz} can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 {6 oz} can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/8 tsp pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a 4 quart {or larger} Crock Pot.  Stir until well blended. 
2. Cover and cook on High for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  
3. Serve with toothpicks as a party appetizer, as an entree topped with parmesan cheese, or on top of a bed of spaghetti noodles.  

Enjoy!

Shredded Chicken and Black Bean Nachos

Hooray for Game Day Sunday. After a full, fun-filled weekend of visiting Santa, decorating for Christmas, visiting family, birthday parties, grocery shopping and T-ball, the last thing I wanted to do was spend a good amount of time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. I wanted to sit down and relax. So, when my hubby asked me what was on the menu for game day, I couldn't have been more excited to make an enormous pan of nachos and call it dinner. These game-day nachos turned out perfect and I couldn't have been happier that dinner was a one-pan mess that made for a quick and easy cleanup.

Ingredients:

• pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1 {14.5 oz} can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 {8 oz} bag shredded mexican cheese, {1/4 to 1/2 bag}
• sliced jalapenos, {jarred or canned}
  
• salsa
• sour cream
• guacamole

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. On a large baking sheet, spread tortilla chips evenly across pan. Sprinkle shredded chicken, black beans, shredded cheese, and jalapenos evenly atop tortilla chips.
   
3. Place pan in oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and chicken is warmed.
   
4. Carefully remove from oven and top with salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Serve immediately.
   

Enjoy!

7-Layer Pie Bake

Yay for game day! We are getting ready to watch the Oregon Duck vs Stanford Cardinal game and of course this calls for a 7-layer dip. Since it is pouring outside {which I am loving right now}, I decided to make a warmed 7-layer 'pie', as I loved the idea of making a 7-layer dip in a pie dish. The game hasn't even started and we've already devoured half of it. It is absolutely delicious. Of course, don't forget to serve this dip with tortilla chips or you will have a big mess on your hands.
Go Ducks!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb ground sirloin or beef
• 1 {16 oz} can refried beans
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 packet taco seasoning
• 1 cup guacamole
• 1 cup salsa
• 3/4 cup shredded mexican cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 2 green onions, chopped
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown beef until fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
   
3. In a 9-inch pie dish, spread refried beans evenly across bottom of dish. Sprinkle refried beans evenly with browned beef.
   
4. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream and taco seasoning until blended. Spread sour cream mixture evenly over the browned beef to cover.
5. Spread guacamole evenly on top of sour cream mixture.
6. Pour salsa over guacamole and spread evenly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese on top of salsa.
   
7. Sprinkle with black olives and place in preheated oven uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and it is warmed through.
   
8. Sprinkle with green onions to top.
   

Serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Shredded Chicken Seven Layer Dip

What's game day without a great 7-layer dip? This is always a hit for football sunday, a party or alone as an appetizer. And, it's sooooo much better than the store bought versions {that I'm obviously not so crazy about}. This is such an easy dish to entertain with that you can whip up in under 10 minutes. You'll be happy you did {and everyone else will be happy, too}. Don't forget the tortilla chips!

Ingredients:

• 1 {16 ounce} can refried beans
• 1 cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded {breast meat only}
  
• 1 {16 ounce} container sour cream
• 1 {1 ounce} packet taco seasoning mix
• 4 avocados, peeled and mashed {add 1 tbsp lime juice with salt and pepper to taste, if desired}
• 1 {16 ounce} jar of your favorite salsa
• 2 cups shredded mexican or sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 1 {6 ounce} can sliced olives, drained {I use less than 1/2 the can}

1. On a large serving platter, spread the refried beans evenly. Spread the chicken pieces evenly across the top of the beans.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream and taco seasoning together until blended. Spread evenly atop the chicken pieces to cover.
   
3. Spread avocado mixture over the sour cream.
4. Top the layers with salsa and spread evenly.
   
5. Add the shredded cheese and sprinkle the sliced olives to top. You can serve this at room temperature or refrigerate to serve cold. Serve with tortilla chips.
   

Enjoy!

{Tip!} You can also garnish with 1/2 cup of chopped green onions to add color and flavor.