Game Day Snacks

These are a few standbys that make my friends' taste buds jump for joy. I don't have the original people to credit on the Ham Rollups or Spinach Dip but the Ham Rollups came from my coworkers and the Spinach Artichoke dip is from my cousin. The Black Bean Dip is my modified version of WeightWatchers.com recipe.

Ham Rollups
2-8oz packages of cream cheese (1/3 less fat works great, fat free makes it a little more runny)
1-8oz jar of olives stuffed with pimentos, well drained
1-2 Tbsp. minced dry onion flakes
approx. 12 slices of ham (square or rectangle work best)

1. Drain olives very well and chop them finely. I have decided to start to use a food processor to make it easier. This time I didn't allow the olives to drain and had to drain the mix onto a paper towel to absorb extra liquid

2. Add olives to the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.

 3. Add in the onion flakes.

4. Mix all ingredients together well. You can use a rubber spatula but again, I used a mixer because my cream cheese was a little hard and I needed to get this done quickly!

5. What the mix should look like

6. Open up the packages of ham and set on a cutting board. You must dry off each side of the piece of ham before spreading on the mixture. I just dab at them with a paper towel.

7. Using a knife, spread a thin layer of the spread on each piece of ham, going all the way to the edge.

8. Roll up the ham into a spiral. The cream cheese will hold it shut.

9. Cut the rolls into 1 inch pieces and stack on a plate or platter to show the spiral inside. Voila, Ham Rollups that your guests will love! I didn't get a pic of the final product so thank you quick-and-easy-dinner.com

Spinach Artichoke Dip
2-8oz packages of cream cheese (1/3 less fat or fat free)
16 oz. light sour cream
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove all water)
2 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella
1-2 cups shredded parmesan/asiago cheese (I found that Kraft sells this as a mix in a 1 1/2 cup pkg.)
1 can of artichoke hearts, medium size
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
pinch of salt & pepper
 

1. Drain artichokes and chop up.

 

2. Add garlic and artichokes to a large microwave-safe bowl.

 

3. Add in cream cheese, sour cream, spinach, salt & pepper and stir all together.

4. Add 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, stir and microwave for 1 min. Pull out the bowl and stir, then add another cup of cheese. Repeat this process until all the cheese is added and the mixture is to the right consistency - all cheese is melted and gooey!

 

5. Serve immediately while it's warm or put in a mini-warmer and serve with tortilla chips or bread pieces. I prefer El Rey Tostaditas Chips that I find at Panos in downtown Waukesha. 

Black Bean Dip

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup cilantro, raw, fresh leaves. loosely packed
1/2 cup salsa, fat free
6 oz. container fat free, plain yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt for the thicker consistency)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. green tabasco (optional)

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until desired consistency. I left it a little more chunky. Scoop into a serving bowl and serve with veggies (carrots, celery pieces, cucumber slices, green pepper slices). If you let the dip sit for 4 hours, flavors come through more. I didn't take a picture of the final project, but kidscooking.about.com had a picture that looks very similar to my dip.