Grilled Peach & Ricotta Toasts

Posted on August 16, 2023 by admin

Eat this as toast, eat this as an open-faced grilled cheese, eat this as a pizza or flatbread – whatever you do, make yourself some grilled peach & ricotta {insert format here} and it will wow you.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Ricotta Toast

Also, for the record, whenever I say peach I likely mean nectarine since I’m not into the fuzz.

Grilled Peach & Ricotta Toasts
Ingredients: (for 2 people, or 4 app servings)
1 peach
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta
2 tablespoons honey
basil or mint

Directions:
Slice the peach and grill until the outside is a little caramelized but not too soft.

Toast the bread (in a toaster, on the grill, or in a skillet lightly brushed with olive oil or butter).
Spread on ricotta, a sprinkle of salt & pepper, and the peaches.

Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle on top. Then, drizzle with honey.

Enjoy!

This has so many possibilities. It was lunch this time but would be great on little baguette rounds for snacks! I’d also love it with another piece of bread that has some melted cheese like a panini! Swap the drizzle of honey with balsamic reduction for a little more contrast if you’d like! Not as into ricotta (it is ok, nobody is) use cream cheese or marscapone or goat cheese.

BBQ Deviled Eggs

Posted on August 2, 2023 by admin

These deviled eggs are summer in a bite with BBQ sauce, corn off the cob, and crunchy onions. Normally I’d think of them in the app category but we ate them beside the pool one hot night as a dinner side dish which had me wondering why we haven’t done that sooner!

BBQ Deviled Eggs
Ingredients: (for 6-8 people, 12 egg halves)
6 eggs
3 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon relish
1/2 – 1 teaspoon BBQ rub (or mix of chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
2 tablespoons bbq sauce
1 tablespoon corn
fried onions

Directions:
Hard boil eggs for 12 minutes then add to a bowl of ice water for at least 1 hour.
Peel eggs, slice them in half, and pop the yolks into a food processor (or into a bowl for a hand mixer/immersion blender).
Add mayo, mustard, relish, rub, liquid smoke, and salt & pepper to the food processor with the yolks and blend well.

Spoon the filling mixture into a zip-top bag inverted into a glass to hold it open. Seal and refrigerate until serving.

To serve, snip the corner of the bag and pipe into each egg half.
Top with corn, a drizzle of BBQ sauce, and fried onions.

Enjoy!

Before a meal, with a meal, it doesn’t matter. Anytime you serve them, they’ll be delicious. The idea came from our hard boiled-egg-loving guy when we talked about ways to use the 2nd BBQ sauce we opened by mistake which had an expiration date coming up. This doesn’t use much, but the flavors were fun.

BBQ sauce in the filling would taste good but might turn it a funny color. They travel well unassembled and take just a few minutes to put together.

Need some other ideas? Bacon Ranch Deviled eggs are always a hit! Caesar Deviled eggs would go well with a summery meal too.

Bacon Ranch Deviled Eggs

Posted on December 7, 2022 by admin

{originally published in 2017 and updated in 2022}

The twists on deviled eggs are endless. I whipped up these bacon ranch deviled eggs the first time for a holiday party. The hostess has a revolving door of party-goers, kiddos, and lots of food. I thought it’d be best to bring a ready-to-eat item. The ideal app for a busy party is one that needs nothing from the host and no oven-reheating time! We’ve had them a few more times and they’re always a hit.

I had all the ingredients on hand which is even better annnnd you can prep these in advance or in stages.

The Three Bite Rule - Bacon Ranch Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

6 eggs
3 strips of bacon
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbs yellow mustard
2 tbs ranch dressing
1/2 packet ranch dressing mix

Directions:

Boil water for the eggs and cook for 12 minutes. Then allow them to cool and peal them.
Pan fry the bacon until crisp. Then remove and drain.
Slice eggs in half, carefully popping the yolks into a food processor or a bowl. Then add in mayo, mustard, ranch, ranch mix, and half the bacon.

Blend in the food processor until totally mixed (or use a hand mixer).
Open a zip top bag into a cup to stabilize it. Spoon the yolk mixture into the bag.

Store the filling in the bag, then when serving, snip one bottom corner and fill each egg half.
Top with the remaining bacon.
Enjoy!

I looooved these. They are always gone quickly at a party or are just fun at home. The bacon on top makes for no surprises (esp since these are type of eggs are normally vegetarian).

Caramel Apple Cheeseball

Posted on October 12, 2022 by admin

We went apple picking and now are eating 10,000 apples. I mixed up a caramel apple inspired cheeseball and it was a hit! I initially wanted it to be cutesy and look like an apple but was stuck on what I could roll it in that’d be green or red. It is tasty – but it doesn’t look like an apple.

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Apple Cheeseball

I already had a request to make it again. We had it as an apps for dinner night then snacked on leftovers a few times.

Caramel Apple Cheeseball
Ingredients:
1 brick of cream cheese
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
Let cream cheese come to room temperature.
Add cream cheese, powdered sugar, caramel sauce, and cinnamon.

Beat with a hand mixer (or in a food processor) until completely mixed.

Chop the chips and spread them in the center of a piece of plastic wrap. Then spoon the cheeseball mixture onto the chips. Roll it around to cover it, then gather up the plastic by the corners and twist together.
Refrigerate for at least an hour (or for a few days).
Serve with apples, pretzels, graham crackers or anything you like! Add some whole chips before serving.
Enjoy!

This keeps well so make it and snack all week or spread it onto a bagel. Nuts would be good to roll on the outside but they don’t keep as well if eating it again later.

Pssst! Extra butterscotch chips? They’re great in pancakes & waffles so I use them to make McGriddles and Apple Cider Cookies! They’re fun on yogurt or in your trail mix or granola too.

Peach & Ricotta in Phyllo Cups

Posted on August 24, 2022 by admin

Phyllo cups + cheese + fruit + herb = perfection. Last time I did brie & cranberry & rosemary and now this got a summery twist with ricotta & peach & basil. My peach could have been more ripe, but I was excited and gave it the benefit of the doubt.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups
Ingredients: (serves ~6)
1 package of phyllo cups (usually ~15 per pkg)
1 peach (or plum or cherry)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
~6 basil leaves
1-2 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Crisp the phyllo cups according to the package (~4 minutes @ 350 degrees, I used the toaster oven)
Chop the peach into small cubes, chiffonade the basil (roll & slice into ribbons) and toss together with a little olive oil and a dash of pepper
Spoon ricotta into each cup and top with the peach & basil mixture.
Enjoy!

I do wish the peach were more ripe – I mistook ripeness on one side with a bruise. This combo was light and was great together. I threw a few tomatoes & basil into a few too. The kids ate them but might not request them specifically. I honestly thought they’d go more for the tomato but both ate the peach ones.

It could also go onto a crostini – toast & assemble by the grill! Phyllo cups (freezer section, by pie crust & puff pastry) are just such a perfect bite and take zero effort so my loyalty lies there.

Leftover ricotta? (Freeze it if you’ll cook it) Or use it for:
a summery pasta with zucchini & mint

tomato ricotta pie

chicken parm turnovers

I often have it on toast/bagels in place of cream cheese!