Disclosure: This is a sponsored post between Latina Bloggers Connect and FritoLay. All opinions and the recipe are my own.

If you know me well, then you know for a fact that my house has a personal cabinet dedicated to chips (if we don’t have a minimum of 5 bags in the house then their will be a  problem), we eat chips with everything and since I could speak my number one chip has always been Lays. I also enjoy bringing friends together for a great time. Last Tuesday my friends and I got a jump start on Cinco de Mayo with Lay’s #StaxQueRico flavors. I asked all my guests to come over, sort of potluck style, and to bring a dip that would pair well with the new Stax crisps or a dish inspired by the crisps. It was a complete success…. All sorts of yummy dishes made their way into my kitchen and we had an amazing time. Here is what we had: pork adobada, strawberry mango salsa, spicy avocado sauce, hot dogs topped with stax Adobadas crisps, chicharrone chicken, chile verde, sangria, bloody marys, and my bacon bean dip and fish ceviche.

Check out these pictures from the party:

Ingredients for Fish Ceviche:

• 3 – cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 – cups of finely chopped white fish (either halibut or tilapia, or a mixture of both)
• 3/4 – cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 – cup finely chopped tomato
• 3/4 – cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1/2 – cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 – tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 – tablespoon salt
• 2 – ripe avocados (diced)
• Tapatio (optional)

Directions:

1. Add lemon juice to a large bowl, then add in the small fish chunks. Place in the fridge, and allow to refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
2. Next chop red onion, tomato, cilantro and cucumber. Add all veggies to fish/lemon mixture.
3. Give it a good mix then add garlic powder and salt. Mix to combine.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place back in fridge, and allow to refrigerate for 1 additional hour.
5. Right before serving mix in avocado chunks.
6. Serve right away.

A friend of mine said these cupcakes should be Illegal.  I made them last minute to take to a belated birthday dinner for a small group of people.  I put them on a blue plate since blue and brown are one of my favorite color combos, it reminds me of the Buster Brown shoe logo, kinda old fashioned.  My first bite in I waited for an over abundance of sugar, but was quickly excited that the brownie was just the right amount of sweet and the oreo balanced it out to perfection.

I realized these cupcakes were dangerous and luscious and I secretly hoped that everyone wouldn’t eat them up so I could have them all.  They did though….

CURSES!

Ingredients for Oreo Nutella Brownie Cupcakes:

• 1/4 stick butter
• 1 – cup sugar
• 3 – eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 – 13 ounce jar of Nutella
• 1 – cup flour
• 16 – oreo cookies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a mixer add butter and sugar and mix till creamy for about 5 minutes.

Add in eggs and vanilla, and mix till frothy.  About 4 minutes.

Add in Nutella and mix until smooth.

Add in flour and mix till smooth.  Now to start filling the cups.  Add one tablespoon of brownie mixture to the bottom of each cupcake liner.

Top with an Oreo cookie.

Top oreo cookie with another tablespoon of brownie mixture.  Push batter to the edge of cup so it could encase oreo cookie completely.

Place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 cupcakes.

Ingredients for Honey Brie Cups:

1 – uncooked pie crust (I use pillsbury)

6 – oz. brie cheese

1/8 – cup honey

2 – tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit

Spray a mini muffin pan with a non-stick baking spray. Set to the side.

Unroll pie crust and cut with a star cookie cutter.

Then place little stars in mini muffin pan to form your cup.

Cut your brie cheese into cubes large enough to fit in center.

Then place in the oven for 9 to 12 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

While cups are baking take honey and orange juice and mix well.

Once you remove brie cups from oven,  drizzle orange honey generously over each cup.

Enjoy them on their own or with a bowl of fresh cherries!

 All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

My family gets together for hot summer fun days throughout the warm months of June, July, and August.  You can bet your bottom dollar there will be water balloon fights involved, swimming, and lots of laughter.  The food is always the main highlight of the gathering with an assortment of everyone’s favorite dishes… a smorgasbord if you will.  We have to make sure to have salsa and chips for my Mom, cheeseburgers for the kids, macaroni salad for my Aunts, bar-b-qued ribs for my Uncles, and THE MUST HAVE  for everyone else (me included) is the classic chili dog.  Of course I make my own version of a classic chili dog, and my twist is adding flavorful RO*TEL.

You start off with an exquisite pot of chili beans.  I make mine simple and ultra tasty, with only 5 ingredients.  It’s the RO*TEL that gives them that burst of zesty flavor that makes you lick your chops and eat like there is no tomorrow.  They’re so good you serve them on top of your hot-dogs and serve a little bowl on the side for more chili bean goodness.  I look forward to my summer, getting splashed by the kids in the pool, dodging water balloons, spending quality time with my family and eating chili dogs!

Last one in is a rotten egg!

Ingredients for turkey chorizo chili:

1 – package pork chorizo (casing removed and cooked)

1/2 – cup chopped onion

1 – pound ground turkey (cooked)

5 – cups cooked pinto beans

1 – can RO*TEL (mild)

In a medium sized pot over a medium flame add chorizo and onions and saute for a minute or so.  Then add in cooked turkey meat.  Mix well.  Add in cooked pinto beans, and entire can of mild RO*TEL.  Mix well and allow for mixture to get hot.

Try to resist eating the entire pot…. you still have dogs to grill.  Take a few frankfurters and slice them with a knife, here and there adding some slits.  Then throw them on a hot grill and cook till they are to your liking.  I like mine slightly charred.

Place your warm frankfurter in a bun and top with turkey chorizo chili beans for the best chili dogs ever!

Garnish with cheddar cheese and onions…. Mmmmm my mouth is watering.

Here’s a picture of the “Chili Dog Vulture”… Identify him now and be on the look out, he may show up the next time you are enjoying a chili dog made with RO*TEL and snag your plate. 🙂

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley and Mando Lopez

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.  The recipe and all opinions are my own.

I hear the word ‘party’ and my eyes light up.  I don’t need a reason to celebrate, something as easy as a game day with some friends is reason enough for me.  I instantly go into food mode, start craving all the fiesta foods that are not usually on the table.  Dishes that only a celebration can bring on.  Stuff that is reserved for a small serving but at a party can be a divine indulgence.  Now it’s an absolute necessity to have a party…. Let’s Spring into Summer with a game day.

Food: I wanted something easy to prepare and could be left on the table for the guests to help themselves.  In order to invite some zesty-ness into the menu I would have to use my beloved RO*TEL.  The vine ripened red tomatoes blended with green chiles and a savory mixture of spices always brings out the PUNCH in dishes.  I knew it would knock the socks off my guests.  I decided to make mini shredded beef tostada bites, creamy cheesy corn dip, and turkey chorizo chili beans to top our hot dogs off with!  The bounty of finger foods was a SMASH!

Ingredients for mini shredded beef tostada bites:

3 – tablespoons olive oil

1/2 – teaspoon chipotle powder

1/2 – teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 – teaspoon salt

1/4 – teaspoon black pepper

24 – mini corn tortillas

5 – cups shredded beef (I cooked a small roast in a crock pot, then shredded it)

fresh lime juice from 2 limes

salt and pepper to taste

2 – cans of original RO*TEL (drained)

Preheat oven to 375  degrees fahrenheit.

In a small bowl combine olive oil, chipotle powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.  Then take a corn tortilla and lightly brush with oil mixture. Place in a muffin pan, and continue till all are done. Bake in oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until crisp.  Set to the side.

Then in a dish combine shredded beef, lime juice, salt, pepper and RO*TEL. Mix well and serve with tostada cups. Top with cheddar cheese or guacamole.

And the guests were hungry… After a long day of playing horse shoes and cards we were ready to eat.  Some of my friends had never tried RO*TEL before and were surely happy to discover it. 🙂

Would you like to have a game day with friends and RO*TEL snacks yourself?  I have a gift set for two lucky readers.

• Two cans of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
• Recipe Cards
• Chip-and-dip serving bowl
• Green chili string lights
• Outdoor game set

How to win the Summer Party Kit:

Like Presley’s Pantry on Facebook!

Follow Presley’s Pantry on Twitter!

Like RO*TEL on Facebook!

Tweet:  I just entered to WIN a @ro_tel Summer party kit via @PresleysPantry !  Wanna win one? Enter here! #FiestaROTEL http://wp.me/p1mJLS-1cW

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them.

Open to U.S. Residents only.  No PO Boxes, please. Must be 18 years or older to enter.  Contest ends May 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM, PST and two (2) winners will be randomly chosen from all entries through random.org.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.  All opinions and recipe are my own.

I learned to listen to my heart long ago…. it’s just as powerful as the mind, and equally as wise.  Even if I refused to listen, it makes itself heard.  The heart wants what it wants….  it could be a MAD love affair or a kiss in the rain or simply a cup of mac and cheese.  I have a mad love and I may want to kiss in the rain if it’s not going to frizz my hair, but one thing is certain, I always want mac and cheese.  I recently had a little gathering and since valentine’s day is around the corner, I made heart shaped cups of my favorite mac and cheese.  Or maybe I made them for my demanding heart.  Which ever the case – AMOR conquers all!

Ingredients for Mac and Cheese Cups:

1 – pint cherry tomatoes (cut in half) (I saute them first in a tablespoon of olive oil)

1 – tablespoon Lawry’s seasoning salt

1 – tablespoon black pepper

1/2 – pound macaroni (cooked according to package)

6 – sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 – cups chopped ham

1/4 – cup chopped green onion (white part only)

1/4 – cup torn pieces of fresh basil

2 – cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 – cups shredded jack cheese

1 – teaspoon chili flakes

24 – heart shaped baking cups

1 – stick butter

1 – tablespoon minced garlic

1 – can 12 ounces evaporated milk ( I use Nestle)

2 – cups half and half

1 – tablespoon spicy brown mustard

3/4 – cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 fahrenheit

In a big bowl combine cherry tomatoes, Lawry’s, black pepper, macaroni, mushrooms, ham, green onion, basil, cheddar cheese, jack cheese, and chili flakes. Mix well. Then fill each heart shaped baking cup with a few tablespoons of mixture.

Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil then place your heart shaped baking cups side by side.

In a big pan, over a medium flame, add butter and melt down.

Then add garlic to melted butter, along with evaporated milk, half and half, and spicy brown mustard. Mix well and make sure to really  mix the mustard in.

Bring butter/cream mixture to a slight boil. Then pull off flame and fill each cup with 1/8 of cup of cream mixture.

Then top each cup with a big pinch on panko crumbs.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Serve hot! 🙂

 Happy V-Day!

All photos taken by: Mando Lopez

I belong to a group of Latina bloggers, and within the group there are a few of us obsessed with food.  One of my blogging hermanas decided to call a Latina Cook-Off challenge. The only criteria is we use pistachios and bacon in our recipe and post it on Saturday September 3rd. Here is my entry to the cook off…. a simple appetizer that will be gone faster then you can say WONDERFUL PISTACHIOS!

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for pistachio cheese filled dates wrapped in bacon:

16 – medjool dates

1/4 – cup cream cheese

1/4 – cup goat cheese

17 – wonderful pistachios (shelled and chopped)

4 – stalks green onion (chopped)

1/4 – teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt

1/4 – teaspoon black pepper

8 – slices bacon

Take dates and slice down one side and remove pit.

In a small mixing bowl add cream cheese, goat cheese, chopped wonderful pistachios, chopped green onion, Lawry’s and black pepper. Mix well. Then fill a teaspoon with a heaping amount of cheese filling and fill date. Repeat till done.

Grab your bacon and slice in half.

Take a half piece of bacon wrap it around date and close with a toothpick. Repeat until done.

Place all bacon wrapped dates on a aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.

Place under the broiler on high  and cook on first side for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden crisp, then remove from broiler flip them over and cook on the other side for an additional 4 minutes.  PERFECT PISTACHIO CHEESE FILLED DATES WRAPPED IN BACON!!!!!!

No compensation was received for this post. I was provided with a sample of  Wonderful Pistachios to aid this recipe. The recipe and opinions are my own.