Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

My stadium bundt cake pan had been neglected since the Superbowl last year, and since this was ASU's "bowl" game this year, I felt that it needed to make an appearance.  I haven't been a huge fan of any of the past bundt cakes that I have made, they have all seemed pretty boring to me; good, but boring.  So I went in search of something new to try and when I came across this cake I figured chocolate and liquor...how can it be bad?  The answer is it can't!  This cake was moist, full of chocolate with the subtle hints of Kahlua. We ate it with hot chocolate that also had a touch of Kahlua, another yummy winter treat! I dusted it with powdered sugar, so it makes it a bit difficult to tell in the picture, but it is indeed in the shape of a football stadium!  I took the leftovers to my office and it was gone before lunch....so I would indeed call this a crowd pleaser and a bundt cake that I will likely make again! 

I served it on a football field platter and used goal post toothpicks that my sister gave me for a more authentic look!

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

1 (18 1/4 oz.) pkg. Devil's Food cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/3 c. Kahlua
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the powdered sugar just until mixed.  Spread into a greased bundt pan.  (Hint: tap the pan lightly on the counter to get out all the air bubbles and distribute the batter evenly.)

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for about 20 - 30 minutes and then carefully remove from bundt pan.  Let the cake continue to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Championship Bean Dip

Three things I really love:

1. Beans (especially refried)

2. Dip (especially when it includes beans)

3. My crock pot

So what happens when I can bring all three things together for a common cause....MAGIC!  I love this dip, it is the ultimate dip in my world, and it is just so easy!  I served this when I had friends over to watch the ASU football game, and everyone was raving about it, it really is the best bean dip ever!  I found the original recipe in an old Fix It and Forget It cookbook that was my grandmas, and modified it a bit for my tastes.  It is the perfect party dip because you throw it all in the crock pot and 2 hours later you have a delicious dip!  Serve with tortilla chips, Fritos or corn chips and you have yourself a winner!  With football Bowl Games and the Superbowl just around the corner this is just the dip to cheer on your favorite team to victory!

Beans are not one of the most photogenic foods....so please no judgements on the photo!

Championship Bean Dip

2 (15 oz. each) cans refried beans (I use Rosarita Spicy Jalapeno)

2 c. picante sauce (I use Medium heat Pace)

2 c. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 c. sour cream

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Chips for serving

Combine all the ingredients, except chips, in the crock pot; stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on High for 2 hours, or until heated through, stirring once or twice during cooking.  When ready to serve, turn crock pot to warm and serve with chips!

Note: This makes a really, really big batch, feel free to cut all the ingredients in half, but I like to have leftovers to make burritos!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

So it's been awhile I know, but the fall is always a crazy time for me and now it is the holiday season and time is just flying by!  I have a backlog of things to share, so fingers crossed I will post more than once per month moving forward! 

You may ask why is fall so busy?  Well....one word....football!  I don't play football or coach football or even have a job that has anything to do with football (although I kinda wish I did), but I watch football, and I watch it a lot!  I love college football, NFL and even play in 2 Fantasy Football leagues!  I wake up in the morning to my radio alarm playing sports talk radio and listen to it while I drive around all day....during the fall, football just seems to take over!  I even manage to travel to a couple of away games every year to follow my beloved Arizona State Sun Devils (this year we went to the Wisconsin and Cal games).  Unfortunately, both of my favorite teams, ASU and the Arizona Cardinals, are not having very good seasons this year....but I am no fair weather fan...I still have to watch and give them my support!

While the NFL still has a few more weeks to go, college football is over.  Well, it is not really over, but when your team doesn't go to a bowl game, it feels like it is over (although who am I kidding, I will still probably watch most of the bowl games...I am a football junkie, remember?).  Going into our last game, the Sun Devils knew that even with a win they wouldn't get a bowl game, but it being our rivalry game against the University of Arizona Wildcats....it was basically going to be played like a bowl game....and it did not disappoint!  After a slow start, the game got to be really close, and ASU pulled out a one point victory in double overtime by blocking an extra point (which they also did to send the game into overtime to begin with)....talk about drama!  It was a crazy game, with highs and lows, and very fun to watch (being the junky that I am, I actually taped it and re watched it the next night so that I could take it all in again....do you think there are support groups for this kind of addiction?) and I was glad that I had invited some friends over to watch it because it really made it that much more fun.

So here is the first of the dishes that I made, this was a real winner, and everyone really liked it.  It is actually supposed to be formed into the shape of a ring, but since it was for a football party I shaped it like a football as much as I could...genius!  The buttery crescent rolls were so tasty with the Mexican fillings, and everyone piled on guacamole and salsa and declared it a winner!  This was a snap to throw together since I had precooked and froze the chicken a couple of weeks ago; I have one more bag of chicken in the freezer so I have a feeling this will be making a repeat appearance soon!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Adapted from www.justapinch.com

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

1 (4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, un drained

1/2 c. mayo

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 small tomato, chopped

1 lime

2/3 c. finely crushed tortilla chips

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

Salsa, sour cream and guacamole for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken, olives, cheese, chilies, mayo and taco seasoning; stir to combine.  Seed and chop the tomato and add to the mixture.  Juice the lime and add 2 tablespoons to the chicken mixture.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of crushed chips and add remaining chips to the mixture; mix well.

Unroll crescent dough and separate triangles.  Arrange on a cooking sheet making a circle with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside.  There should be about a 5 to 6 inch diameter opening in the center.

Spread chicken mixture evenly onto the widest end of each triangle.  You can really heap the mixture on, and you may have a bit leftover.

Bring points of triangles up and over filling, and tuck under the wide ends of dough at center of ring.  Sprinkle with the remaining crushed chips.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the crescent rolls are golden.  Let cool for a minute, then slice along the seems to make wedges.  Serve with garnishes if desired.