Jalapeño Popper Pumpkin Cheeseball Recipe

Jalapeño Popper Pumpkin Recipe

Prep Time:  20 Minutes  (Plus extra time to chill the cheeseball)
Difficulty:  Easy
Serves: 8-10

Happy Fall, everyone!

An easy appetizer that never gets old is the cheeseball, and this pumpkin cheeseball is perfect for entertaining for Fall, Halloween, or Thanksgiving. Not only does the mighty cheeseball, although underrated, lean itself to festive shapes; footballs during game day season, pumpkins for Fall, snowmen, reindeer and trees for winter, and so much more, this recipe is so easy and tasty that you will want to keep it in your back pocket for any occasion.

We’ve spiced things up with this delicious jalapeño popper pumpkin cheeseball featuring cream cheese, fresh and pickled jalapeños, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, and Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend. It is the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and the flavors intensify beautifully if you make it ahead.

This jalapeño popper cheeseball is such a hit we’re constantly asked to bring it to gatherings, and you will be amiss not to try it! And, because it can be made ahead, it allows you more time with your family and friends.

If you’re looking for a new appetizer to add to your Fall culinary cache, consider this jalapeño popper pumpkin cheeseball. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by. :) Comment below if you have tried this recipe. Visit us again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• 3 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

• 1 8oz. block of cream cheese, room temperature

• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (Hand-shredded is better than store-bought shredded cheese)* See Note

• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese (could use pepper jack if you like it spicier. (Hand-shredded is better than store-bought shredded cheese)* See Note

• 1/3 cup seeded and finely diced fresh jalapeños (2 medium or 1 large…more if you like it spicier), reserving one stem to finish the pumpkin at the end

• 1/3 cup finely diced pickled jalapeños (recipe to come soon for homemade pickled jalapeños)

• 1/2- 1 teaspoon (tsp.) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning Blend (Could substitute Cherchies® Garlic ‘N Herbs NO-SALT) Seasoning.

• 1/4 cup chopped chives or green onions- white and green parts (Optional. I have used them before, but not for this photograph).

• 1 snack-size bag of Cheese Itz crackers, crushed (Could use cheese puffs, spicy Doritos, or even extra cheddar* See Notes).

• 3 rubber bands

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is ready, with a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, place bacon on the baking sheet and cook until crispy. (Every oven is different, so you must watch the bacon for about 15 minutes, give or take a few).

While bacon is cooking, chop up jalapeños and grate the cheese. Be sure to save one stem as decoration for the finished product.

Add the cream cheese, shredded cheese, Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, and jalapeños to a medium-sized bowl. (Make sure to use kitchen gloves while chopping up jalapeños…trust me from experience; you need the gloves).

When cooked and cooled, chop up the bacon and add to the bowl. Mix all the ingredients with a hand-held mixer until combined.

Use a rubber spatula to shape the mixture into a ball. Place the cheeseball on a piece of plastic wrap and cover the cheeseball. Use rubber bands to create the typical grooves found on pumpkins. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Place the cheese crackers in a plastic resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin, rolling over the bag until fine crumbs are formed. Set aside. If you have a food processor, place the crackers in the processor and pulse until finely ground.

Once your cheeseball has chilled in the refrigerator*, add the crushed crackers to a medium bowl, remove the rubber bands, and roll the cheese pumpkin in the crushed crackers. Decorate with the saved jalapeño stem and serve with crackers, pretzels, and/or carrots, celery, and cucumbers for a healthier dipping option.

Enjoy!

For a football shape, add extra cooked bacon on the outside, followed by Provolone or Monterey Jack cheese.

Notes:

• Substituting the Cheese Itz- Feel free to substitute them with cheese puffs, spicy Doritos (regular Doritos are not as orange, or extra grated yellow cheddar cheese.

• Grating Cheese- It’s always better to hand-grate a block of cheese. Pre-shredded cheese works in a pinch. If baking this mixture for a hot dip, hand-grated cheese is best because the pre-shredded cheese does not melt as well because of the coating added to the cheese.

• Would you prefer a hot dip? Evenly spread the dip ingredients into a pie plate (step five, “Use a rubber spatula to shape the mixture into a ball”), sprinkle with the cracker crumbs, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Crispy Dilly Zucchini Fritters Recipe

Crispy Dilly Zucchini Fritters Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

If you have been reading our blog (thank you), you will know that I often refer to our children as leftover haters and take pride in transforming last night's dinner into tonight's masterpiece. It is a great way to waste less and save money. I also love trying new recipes and surprising my family with new culinary creations to keep things fresh in our meal rotation. Today’s recipe: Crispy Dilly Zucchini Fritters featuring Cherchies® Lem ‘N Dill Seasoning.

Now that hubby and I are empty nesters, with the youngest two currently in college, I discovered that my biggest culinary challenge is my hubby, and changing his palate (who is, by far, the pickiest in our family) is my new mission. Our family has a one-bite rule. They do not have to like what we prepare but must try it, and the same goes for picky husbands. Challenge accepted;)

Let's talk zucchini, not necessarily my hubby's favorite but a colossal canvas for my mission. Our garden has abundantly provided us with a plethora of zucchini this summer, and aside from stir-fries, sauteeing, zucchini bread (more on that in another post), or even giving to neighbors, I needed a new recipe for zucchini fast, and this tasty zucchini fritter recipe is the perfect experiment for a picky non-veggie loving hubby.

The result, HE LOVED IT, as did our college students, who are home for the Summer. They even went for seconds! And the next day…hubby went looking for more leftover fritters for a snack but unfortunately came up short (our children had gobbled them up).

This easy recipe, featuring Cherchies® Lem ‘N Dill Seasoning Blend, comes together in minutes. It is crispy on the outside and flavorful and moist in the middle. The hardest part about this recipe is squeezing the water out of the zucchini. The more water you squeeze out of the zucchini, the better the fritters will turn out. I have yet to try this recipe in our air fryer but report back if you do.

So, if you have more zucchini than you know what to do with and are looking for a tasty vegetable recipe, consider making these crispy dilly zucchini fritters, but grab some for yourself, as they will disappear right before your eyes! Family and picky hubby approved.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini (or one large zucchini)

• 2 teaspoons (tsp.) salt

• 4 scallions, diced

• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning

• 1 large egg, beaten (might need more depending on zucchini)

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1/3 cup cornmeal

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) cornstarch

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) baking powder

• Canola or olive oil for frying

• Sour cream or **special sauce (optional) for dipping

• Extra diced scallions or chives to garnish (optional)

**Special Sauce Ingredients: (optional)

• Mix equal parts of mayonnaise and Cherchies® Hot Banana Pepper Mustard in a bowl.

Preparation
Grate zucchini into a colander with a box grater in the sink, or use a food processor with a shredding attachment. Toss the zucchini with two teaspoons of salt. Let the shredded zucchini sit in a colander over a large bowl for 10 minutes. The salt will draw out the moisture from the zucchini.

After 10 minutes, put the grated zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The more liquid squeezed out, the crispier the fritters will be.

Add the drained zucchini, scallions, parsley, Cherchies® Lem'n Dill Seasoning, egg, cheese, cornmeal, cornstarch, and baking powder to a large bowl. Mix to combine. (To make this dairy-free, omit Parmesan cheese or substitute with vegan parmesan cheese).

Add a thin layer of oil to a pan, and over medium heat, add spoonfuls of the zucchini mixture. Flatten with a spatula and pan-fry until golden brown (3-5 minutes per side). Once the fritters are cooked, remove them from the pan and drain them on a paper towel-lined plate.

Serve with sour cream or **special sauce, garnished with scallions or chives for dipping.

Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe

Lemon Pepper Chicken Legs Recipe

Originally posted 2015. Updated with new content and photos.

Summer means grilling! My family and I grill year-round, and during the winter, my brave hubby battles the elements and grills in his winter coat and snow boots. I'm not that brave. I'm a wimp in the cold and opt to grill inside with my stove's attachment.

This easy recipe requires only a few ingredients and is perfect for those impromptu get-togethers. You could easily use this recipe on chicken breasts, wings, etc., but legs were the choice this time, and I chose to use Cherchies® Lem 'n Pepper Spicy Blend. 

Try our other flavorful spices too! (I usually make a batch of chicken legs with an assortment of our seasoning blends and have our guests choose their favorites). This recipe would be a lot of fun for a game night meal.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made these chicken legs and your favorite Cherchies® Seasoning Blend. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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Ingredients

• Chicken legs

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• Cherchies® Lem 'n Pepper Spicy Blend 

**(Could substitute Cherchies®Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning, Cherchies®Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, Cherchies®Garlic Seasoning, Cherchies®Pepper Pizzazz Seasoning, Cherchies® Salsa Seasoning, or Cherchies®Pepper 'n Lime Seasoning for a completely different taste...or mix them up!)

Preparation

Light the grill and turn it on high.  After five minutes, turn the grill down to low.

Brush Olive oil on Chicken legs.  Generously coat all sides of chicken with Cherchies® Lem 'n Pepper Spicy Blend (or any of our seasoning blends).

Place chicken legs on the grill and cook, turning every five minutes until juices run clear.  The result, lovely, juicy grilled chicken legs.  Enjoy!

Lem'n Pepper Chicken Recipe

Amazing Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Amazing Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 6

Summer is almost upon us, and do you know what that means? Fresh vegetables and fruits will soon be abundant, especially strawberries. Even though strawberries are found year-round at grocery stores, their peak juiciness season here in the United States is between April and June. Summer strawberries are special. Since nothing screams summer more than juicy ripe strawberries, making a classic dessert such as strawberry shortcake is the perfect confection to welcome Summer's arrival.

This delicious recipe features a moist, flavorful almond cake and sweet strawberries tinged with Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread.

I remember growing up and having strawberry shortcakes often, but instead of homemade cakes or sweetened biscuits, my mom used the pre-made sponge cakes found at the grocery store and whipped cream from a can. Boy, have things changed. Although I fondly remember those little cakes, making things from scratch is much better. This almond cake is naturally gluten-free and can also be dairy free, with some tweaks in the whipped cream (*see note), so it is ideal for those with specific food allergies. And, what shortcake would not be complete without a cloud of homemade sweet whipped cream (so much better than store-bought cans of “whipped cream”)?

So, celebrate Summer's arrival and make this decadently refreshing dessert. This quick and easy recipe will become one of your family's favorites and is perfect for Mother's Day, brunch, July 4th, summer BBQs, or anytime you crave sweet strawberries and creamy, dreamy whipped cream.

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have made this delicious recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

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*Note: This recipe is gluten-free. Some dairy-free whipped topping products are available at your local grocery store. There are recipes on the internet for homemade whipped cream (dairy-free) using coconut milk, but I have yet to try them.

Cake Ingredients

• 4 eggs (room temperature)- separate yolks and egg whites into two different bowls

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) orange zest

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

Strawberry Filling Ingredients (adjust portions according to guests)

• 1 pint of strawberries, washed and sliced (reserve 3 strawberries, cut in half with stem for garnish (optional)).

• 1/2 jar Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread

Homemade Whipped Cream Ingredients

• 1 cup cold heavy cream or cold heavy whipping cream

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) good vanilla extract

Cake Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” cake pan with parchment paper, cut to the size of the pan, and spray with cooking spray.

Separate egg yolks from egg whites into two separate medium bowls. Add the sugar to the yolk bowl, and beat on high with a hand mixer for 3-4 minutes. Add the almond flour and orange zest. Mix to combine. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites for about 2 minutes on high until soft peaks (or little white mountains when beaters are lifted up) form. “Room-temperature egg whites whip faster than cold egg whites, and room-temperature egg whites whip into a greater volume than cold egg whites. So make sure your egg whites are at room temperature before starting”.- Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter and mix until just combined. Add batter to a lined and greased baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or until the toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool the cake completely. Prepare the strawberries as directed below.

While the cake is cooling, place the bowl and beaters you plan on using for the whipped cream in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The colder the cream, bowl, and utensils, the more successful your homemade whipped cream will be.

Strawberry Filling Preparation

Mix the strawberries and Cherchies® Strawberry Butter Spread in a medium bowl and set aside.

Whipped Cream Preparation

As mentioned, begin with cold everything, cream, bowl, and utensils (beaters). The bowl and the beaters are an added step, but I find that doing so makes the lightest, airiest whipped cream.

This recipe comes together in minutes, so if you are using your stand mixer, do not be tempted to walk away. The result could be an overwhipped cream. Whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in your cold bowl on medium-high speed until it is soft and billowy rather than curdled and grainy. If you are nervous about over-whipping, don’t be. Feel free to check on it often. You are looking for medium cream peaks, which means when you lift the beaters out of the bowl, they should look like little white mountains that hold their shape.

Assembling the strawberry shortcake

Now comes the fun part, eating! Cut the cake into individual portions. Add the strawberry mixture to each portion, and dollop with a generous amount of the whipped cream. Garnish each with the reserved strawberry slices for a pretty presentation. From this…

To this! Enjoy!