This Shrimp Scampi Cheese Dip made it’s debut on our Thanksgiving Menu last year, the family loved it so much it’s now one of our faves. We make it all the time for our Sunday night barbecues and even when we entertain. Our guests love it just as much as we do!
It’s really simple to make and so yummy! We used crostini for dipping, we like the crunch, but you can use fresh baguettes or whatever you like. I’d avoid salted crackers though, the butter and cheeses have enough salt and dipping salted crackers may get too salty.
If you’re looking for something different to add to your holiday meal this Scampi Dip fits the spot.
But do keep extra ingredients on hand, you may have to make a second bowl when you have company!
Ingredients:
8 oz. medium shrimp – peeled and roughly chopped
4 tbls. salted butter
1 tbls. minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine (if you prefer non-alcoholic you can substitute chicken broth for the wine)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated fresh parmasean cheese
1 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Melt butter in pan.
2. Saute garlic in butter until it turns slightly brown.
3. Add shrimp and saute until shrimp starts to turn pink.
4. Add wine. Stir well and continue cooking until shrimp is cooked.
5. Remove from heat and squeeze on lemon juice. Stir.
6. Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, parmasean, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Reserve the 1/2 mozzarella for topping. Mix very well.
7. Pour into oven safe baking dish – you will be serving it in this dish. I ran out of pretty oven safe dishes so I ended up using an aluminum pie tin.
8. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
9. Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and starts turning brown.
10. Serve warm with dipping bread or chips.
Shrimp Scampi Cheese Dip
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An awesome dip you and your friends will love! It's cheesey, garlicy, flavor goes great with crusty baguette slices.
One of my favorite dishes is Chicken Marsala. I’ve tried many different recipes in my quest for the perfect one; tweaking each one until it was just right.
Here is the recipe I use and my family loves it. The sauce in this version is thicker and creamier than other versions due to the heavy cream and corn starch. If you want a thinner sauce please read the notes at the end to see what ingredients can be omitted or substituted.
This recipe is very easy to make and should be served soon after cooking. Left overs can be refrigerated, in fact it tastes even better the next day!
I serve Chicken Marsala with garlic mashed potatoes or my cousin’s “poor man’s pasta” the recipe for that is at the bottom of this post.
The Best Chicken Marsala Ingredients: 1 lb. mushrooms
4 tbls. butter
2 tbls. minced garlic
1 cup Marsala wine
1 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, pounded to 1″ thickness
2 tbls. olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. ground sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
10 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh parsley chopped
Directions:
1. Wash mushrooms and pat dry. Slice into thin slices.
2. Melt 2 tbls. butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add garlic and wine to the mushrooms. Lower heat and gently simmer until wine reduces, about 15 minutes.
4. Add cream, corn starch, and sea salt. It should thicken slightly. If it’s too thick add more wine to desired consistency, but not more than another 1/2 cup. Set aside. *
5. Combine flour, ground sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl.
6. Heat oil and 2 tbls. butter in a skillet over medium heat.
7. Toss chicken tenders in flour; shake off excess; fry in olive oil/butter until cooked thru and is golden brown.
8. Pour Marsala sauce over chicken. Add cherry tomatoes. Simmer until tomatoes are soft, but not mushy.
9. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
* For thinner sauce OMIT heavy cream and corn starch in step 4. Add salt and set aside. Cook chicken as directed. In step 9 BEFORE you sprinkle with parsley stir in 2 more tbls. butter, stir until butter melts. Sprinkle with parsley.
Poor Man’s Pasta Ingredients: 1 lb. Pasta
3 tbls. butter
1/4 shredded fresh parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook pasta as directed on box.
2. Drain pasta.
3. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
4. Add cooked pasta. Toss in butter until pasta is covered.
5. Add parmesan cheese. Toss pasta until cheese is evenly distributed.
Wash mushrooms and pat dry. Slice into thin slices.
Melt 2 tbls. butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
Add garlic and wine to the mushrooms. Lower heat and gently simmer until wine reduces, about 15 minutes.
Add cream, corn starch, and sea salt. It should thicken slightly. If it's too thick add more wine to desired consistency, but not more than another 1/2 cup. Set aside.
Combine flour, ground sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl.
Heat oil and 2 tbls. butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Toss chicken tenders in flour; shake off excess; fry in olive oil/butter until cooked thru and is golden brown.
Pour Marsala sauce over chicken. Add cherry tomatoes. Simmer until tomatoes are soft, but not mushy.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
Poor Man's Pasta
Cook pasta as directed on box.
Drain pasta.
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
Add cooked pasta. Toss in butter until pasta is covered.
Add parmesan cheese. Toss pasta until cheese is evenly distributed.
Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
For thinner sauce OMIT heavy cream and corn starch in step 4. Add salt and set aside. Cook chicken as directed. In step 9 BEFORE you sprinkle with parsley stir in 2 more tbls. butter, stir until butter melts. Sprinkle with parsley.
Chicken Milanese is the poultry version of Cotoletta alla Milanese, a signature Italian dish that is said to have originated in Milan.
Cotoletta alla Milanese is more popularly known as Veal Mianese, veal cutlet that’s breaded and fried. Chicken Milanese uses thinly sliced chicken breast that’s breaded and fried. So basically it’s Italian fried chicken.
Chicken Milanese is one of my favorite dishes. It’s very versatile. If you add tomato sauce and a slice of mozzarella cheese you’ve got Chicken Parmesan; add a lemony sauce and capers, you’ve got Veal Picatta!
Traditionally Chicken Milanese is rolled in seasoned breadcrumbs. In my version I use Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour instead. The Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour gives my Chicken Milanese a crispy coating while keeping the chicken moist and juicy.
I like to serve Chicken Milanese with either a simple green salad for a light entree or with a pasta dish for a heartier meal. I usually serve it with my Easy Baked Manicotti, a pasta tube filled with a spinach cheese mixture and baked with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. But really you can pair Chicken Milanese with any kind of pasta and your favorite homemade or bottled pasta sauce.
Here’s my recipe!
Ingredients:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Sliced in half horizontally to make thinner slices
1 Egg
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Cup Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour
1 Tbs. Garlic – Finely minced
1 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
1/2 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese – Finely grated
Olive oil for frying
Your favorite pasta dish. Click here for my Easy Baked Manicotti recipe!
Directions:
Make your pasta dish or green salad.
Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally making 2 thin slices.
Pound the breast halves with a kitchen mallet until they are very thin.
Heat about 1/2″ olive oil in frying pan.
Beat egg and milk together.
Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder and mix will.
Mix dry ingredients together in a shallow bowl or dish.
Dip each chicken slice in egg mixture, allow excess liquid to drip off.
Roll chicken slice in flour mixture. Shake off excess flour.
Gently place chicken into hot oil.
Fry chicken for about 5 minutes then turn over to cook other side.
Fry another 3-5 minutes or until chicken is golden brown.
Drain on paper towel.
Arrange in serving dish and serve with green salad or a side dish of pasta.
Ah crispy, salty, yummy French Fries! Who doesn’t love them? Fried potatoes are probably the most popular item on fast food menus around the world. They’re served with everything from burgers to kebobs!
But in the past 10 years or so the humble French Fry has gone gourmet. They’re now tossed, topped, and smothered with everything from garlic powder to chili, and truffles. Gourmet French Fries have gotten so popular that even McDonald’s ventured into its territory with their Shake fries. (Now that didn’t go so well. Who wants to pour an order of McD’s fries into a bag, sprinkle with seasoned powder and shake? Not me that’s for sure! We tried it and came to the conclusion that McDonald fries are best left alone.)
Many restaurants have also turned to fresh hand cut fries instead of the standard bags of frozen potatoes. And they’re frying them in healthier oils, namely olive oil.
This “new” trend of gourmet fried potatoes is not new at our house. I’ve always made fried potatoes or french fries from real potatoes. I’m not too crazy about frozen potatoes. And I’ve been seasoning fries for ages!
One of our favorites are Garlic, Rosemary, Parmesan Fries. Seriously who can resist a blend of garlic, rosemary, and parmesan cheese? A perfect combo in my book!
Garlic, Rosemary, Parmesan Fries are the perfect side dish for burgers! They go well with just about anything you make. They’s super good just by themselves. And their fried in olive oil which gives them a better flavor than frying in vegetable oil.
Here’s my recipe. Make plenty, they go fast!
Ingredients:
8 Large Russet Potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into thin strips
Olive Oil for frying
2 Tbs. Fresh Garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbs. Fresh Rosemary, roughly chopped
1/2 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated
Directions:
Wash and peel potatoes then cut into thin strips
Heat about 1″ – 1 1/2″ of olive oil in a deep pan
Drop potato strips into hot oil
Fry until crisp and golden brown
Drain on paper towel, gently pat the fries with the paper towel to remove excess oil
Pour fries in a large mixing bowl
Add remaining ingredients and toss until the toppings are evenly distributed
Crispy fried chicken, mozzarella cheese, and garlic what more can you want? There are many different Chicken Caprese recipes out there but none of them are like my recipe. Most Chicken Caprese recipes aren’t crispy. I like crispy chicken and I also love mozzarella cheese so I figured I’d combine them to make this Crispy Chicken Caprese.
This Chicken Caprese is crispy fried chicken in a flavorful tomato basil sauce and topped with melted mozzarella. Totally yummy! The key to a delicious Caprese is the FRESH ingredients. Don’t be tempted to substitute dried basil! I serve it with a green salad and fresh baked bread. My husband loves it!
Crispy Chicken Caprese
Serves 2
Ingredients:
8-10 Pieces Chicken Tenderloins
1 Cup all purpose flour
3 Tbsp. Garlic, finely minced
1/4 Cup Freshly Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1 pinch Sea Salt
1 pinch Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Olive Oil
8 oz. Grape Tomatoes, cut in halves
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, torn into pieces
1 Ball Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced
Directions:
Wash chicken tenderloins and pat dry with a paper towel.
Combine flour, 1 tbsp. garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
Heat Olive Oil in frying pay over medium high – medium heat.
Coat tenderloins with flour mixture and drop into hot oil.
Fry until both sides are golden brown, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Set aside.
Add remaining garlic to oil you just friend chicken in. Stir constantly until it starts to brown.
Add tomatoes and cook until juices start coming out of the tomatoes and the tomatoes are soft.
Add Basil and cook until basil starts to wilt.
Add in fried chicken and arrange in a single layer in the pan.
Chicken Milanese is the poultry version of Cotoletta alla Milanese, a signature Italian dish that is said to have originated in Milan.
Ah crispy, salty, yummy French Fries! Who doesn’t love them? Fried potatoes are probably the most popular item on fast food menus around the world. They’re served with everything from burgers to kebobs!
Crispy fried chicken, mozzarella cheese, and garlic what more can you want? There are many different Chicken Caprese recipes out there but none of them are like my recipe. Most Chicken Caprese recipes aren’t crispy. I like crispy chicken and I also love mozzarella cheese so I figured I’d combine them to make this Crispy Chicken Caprese.
