Category Archives: Appetizer

Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers |Appetizer

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This post sponsored by Sam’s Fresh Salsa, however all comments, content and enthusiasm remain my own!

I could make a meal out of appetizers, couldn’t you?! Especially munching on these Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers – they are super satisfying and the perfect prelude to a summery southwestern meal or hearty snack to pair with happy hour drinks on the patio.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!

These little two-bite nibbles are basically rice balls loaded with veggies and cheese (win-win), with even more winning from the secret ingredient – Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy! For more easy recipes and inspo to fuel an active lifestyle, visit thefitfork.com
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Not only are the spinach and corn poppers paired with Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde for dipping, the foundational ingredient – rice – is prepped using Salsa Verde as part of the cooking liquid! It’s a flavor hack you’ll want to replicate time and time again, not just with these rice balls, but any night you are making a rice side dish! Rice becomes tender and ready for consumption as it absorbs boiling liquid. Water is standard (and oh-so-boring), but rice prepared in salsa as the cooking liquid is just simply amazing and so easy (swap up to half the water for salsa) – there’s no need to add garlic, spices and this and that – all those flavor boosts are already in the salsa!

Rice hack! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice!
Flavor boost! Sam’s Fresh Salsa Verde is used as part of the cooking liquid for the rice!

After the “next level” salsa verde rice has been prepped, it’s just a matter of quickly sautéing spinach and corn and mixing together with the rice along with a mixture of queso fresco and mozzarella for double cheesy goodness!  I use a silicone cookie scoop (or spoon) to made generous tablespoon-sized balls of the mixture and then bake for 30 minutes!

corn and spinach for rice poppers -- veggies always a great addition to any appetizer.
Get some veggie goodness in this delicious appetizer recipe!

By the way, as decadent as this rice appetizer sounds, loaded with rice and cheese, each popper is very reasonable – each with 56 calories, 2.2g fat, 6.3g net carb, and 2.6g protein.

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!
We piled up our poppers and Sam’s salsa in taco boats to take on the patio!

Of course, these rice ball poppers are best served with a side of this salsa verde for dunking. The fresh green salsa has that tangy, limey taste that pairs so well with the tomatillos and lots of garlic – yum! I really appreciate these new salsas from Sam’s Fresh Salsas, they are completely farm fresh with a clean label – no preservatives, nothing artificial. In addition to the Salsa Verde, there is a Cantina Medium Salsa and Watermelon Jicama Salsa. you can purchase Sam’s Fresh Salsa at: ShopRite, Acme, and Safeway or ask your store to stock it!

Sam's Fresh Salsa Verde perfect for all your southwestern-inspired recipes
I love Salsa Verde because it’s tangy and loaded with garlic and mild tomatillos — not too spicy!

You can also learn more about Sam’s Fresh Salsa at SamsSalsa.com on Facebook and Instagram!

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb -- 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!
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Salsa Verde Spinach & Corn Rice Poppers
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
rice cooling
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

Delicious baked rice balls loaded with cheese and veggies are perfect for dunking in mild salsa verde! The secret to maximum flavor is also using the salsa as part of the cooking liquid in the rice! Surprising low cal and lower carb — 56 calories and 6g carbs per piece. An appetizer and snack that makes everyone happy!

Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: corn, mexican food, nibbles, rice, salsa, spinach
Servings: 24 balls
Calories: 56 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup uncooked white or brown rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2/3 cup verde salsa highly suggest Sam’s Fresh Salsa
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels thawed
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Add rice, water and salsa to medium pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and add lid. Cook rice according to time on package instructions, or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove lid and set aside to cool to room temperature. To speed process, you can pour rice out on baking sheet and stick in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F when rice almost done cooling.
  3. Meanwhile, add olive oil to skillet and sauté spinach and corn for approximately 3 minutes until warmed and wilted. Remove from heat.
  4. Add cooled rice to large bowl along with spinach-corn mixture. Stir together. Next stir in egg and cheeses and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
  6. Use a tablespoon (I found a little cookie scooper works well) to create approximate generous 1 tablespoon-sized balls. Set balls on baking sheet.
  7. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese bubbling and turning lightly golden brown on tops.
  8. Remove from oven and serve warm with additional salsa verde.
Recipe Notes

Sun-Dried Tomato Blue Cheese Spread | Easy Low Carb

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Sun-dried Tomato Blue Cheese Spread is rich, creamy and bursting with bold flavor! With only three ingredients, it’s a simple, no-cook appetizer that can be made in mere minutes to delight guests who drop by unexpectedly – or to just satisfy your everyday snacking needs!

Only 3 ingredients and even fewer minutes needed to make this easy low carb appetizer. Bold, creamy and amazing on crackers to melted on chicken or steaks, this tomato blue cheese spread will please! No cook, suitable for keto diets, and gluten free. Only 45 calories and 0.6g carb per serving.

This blue cheese and tomato spread is also a flavorful addition to any charcuterie tray, cheese board, and snack tray for low-carb summer entertaining.

Only 3 ingredients and even fewer minutes needed to make this easy low carb appetizer. Bold, creamy and amazing on crackers to melted on chicken or steaks, this tomato blue cheese spread will please! No cook, suitable for keto diets, and gluten free. Only 45 calories and 0.6g carb per serving.

Other serving suggestions for this creamy spread is to stir into warm pasta or veggies for an irresistible sauce. Additionally, a dollop of leftover creamy sun-dried tomato spread on a baked potato or over a plain grilled chicken breast creates “next level” yumminess.

The simplicity of this easy blue cheese spread with sundried tomatoes is legit – I mean, it’s REALLY EASY. Almost embarrassingly so, lol! Soften cream cheese and stir in blue cheese crumbles and sun-dried tomato pesto until mostly creamy (but I do like a few little lumps of the blue cheese to remain). Use a little spatula to transfer to a serving dish – the recipe yields enough to fill a 5 or 6-oz standard ramekin. If you want to get fancy, you can garnish with a sprig of fresh basil!

Only 3 ingredients and even fewer minutes needed to make this easy low carb appetizer. Bold, creamy and amazing on crackers to melted on chicken or steaks, this tomato blue cheese spread will please! No cook, suitable for keto diets, and gluten free. Only 45 calories and 0.6g carb per serving.

The first time I made this, I CHOPPED oil-packed sundried tomatoes by hand . . . but quickly realized that I could just purchase a sundried tomato pesto and save so much time and mess. Do what you prefer – just don’t use the dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes though – they don’t add as much flavor and incorporate as well into the spread.

As I hinted, this recipe is low carb by nature – use full-fat cream cheese (which I did) if you are looking for a Keto cheese spread with the lowest possible carb yields.  Each serving of this easy keto appetizer (about ½ ounce) has 46 calories, 4.4g fat, 0.6g carbohydrate and 1.4g protein.

This post contains affiliate link.

5 from 2 votes
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Sun-Dried Tomato Blue Cheese Spread | Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free
Prep Time
3 mins
Total Time
3 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, party, Snack
Keyword: blue cheese, cream cheese, pesto
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 45 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 oz. full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. sun dried tomato pesto from jar
Instructions

  1. Soften cream cheese and blue cheese on counter for 15 minutes. Mix together cheese along with pesto in bowl until mostly smooth, but some lumps of the blue cheese is wanted. Keep chilled until serving.

  2. Serve with crackers or bread. Also great melted into warm veggies, noodles or a spoonful dolloped on a baked potato or over a simple grilled chicken breast or steak.

Recipe Notes

5-minute Party Prep with (Zero ABV) Red Raiderade and Pineapple-Bacon Cream Cheese Dip

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Whether it’s football season, basketball season or summer break sitting out by the pool, we all want some tasty, easy-to-make snacks and beverages to tide us through the fun.

I decided to pay tribute to Texas Tech University, mainly due to a new Red Raider in the family this Fall (my youngest son) and also taking into account my husband and I are both graduates of this fine institution in Lubbock, just south of the Panhandle.  Hit ‘em, Wreck ‘em, Texas Tech!!

Here’s the kid going to Texas Tech, shhh let’s not tell him Mom posted his photo here!

In just five minutes, I can whip together a non-alcoholic drink (Red Raiderade – a Michelada mocktail) and snack dip that the whole gang loves thanks to a few of my new favorite products. Keep reading for all the delicious deets!

First, let’s start with the drink Zero-AFB “Red Raiderade” – think of a Michelada mocktail or Ojo Rojo that is alcohol free and you get the idea, but lighter, fewer calories and no hangover. These types of tomato beer drinks are so popular in Texas and so refreshing with a spicy bite! Instead of a Mexican beer though, I just substitute unsweetened sparkling water with lime or lemon flavor in my non-alcoholic Michelada version. This sparkling water, along fresh juice of a lime, Clamato juice and a splash of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce are all poured over ice in a tall pint glass – and I garnish the glass edges with Tajin!

Speaking of pint glasses, I’m feeling super school spirited with College Town Glassware from Well and Told. Get a pair of classic pint glasses printed with the map of your favorite college town – I picked Lubbock for Texas Tech University, but there are lots of choice from around the country.

5 Minute Party Prep with seedz crackers, bacon pineapple dip and no alcohol Red Raiderade (like a Michelada tomato beer cocktail)

Now, for snacks in a snap, you can’t go wrong with crackers and cream cheese spread – that easy-peasy classic preparation of opening a brick of cream cheese and pouring preserves over the top. However, instead of my typical Jalapeno jam, I found these fabulous “everything sauces” from Ricante – made in Costa Rica and now all over the U.S. (look for them in Whole Foods or on Amazon). There are four different choices in this line up of spicy tropical sauces (which are friendly for keto, gluten-free and Whole30 diets).

Use them for dipping, marinating, salad dressing and reducing/glazing with meats – I chose the Tropical Pineapple Habanero Infused Everything Sauce and just doused it right over the cream cheese and then dumped on extra diced pineapple and crumbled bacon. Pineapple Bacon Cream Cheese Dip will make you feel very tropical and no worries! It’s SO GOOD with veggies sticks or crackers.

And speaking of crackers, I don’t set out crappy crackers for my 5 minute party prep – lol! Only the best stuff for me, the family and lucky guests — I like to serve Top Seedz Crackers. Top Seeds Crackers are SO DELISH are were created by Rebecca, an avid traveler and sports competitor, who knows first-hand (as do I) that healthy eating influences with way we live and feel in our bodies. She insists on good, natural ingredients like roasted seeds that are naturally vitamin and mineral dense with other important nutrients to fuel an active lifestyle like fiber and protein. I just adore these roasted seed crackers, so crunchy, satisfying, and flavorful (several options)– they really tide me over!  

So anyway, cheers to your favorite college, sports team, season of the year or WHATEVER – and drinking and snacking responsibly and with good health in mind! What are your favorite tips for quick entertaining and putting together 5 minute party prep?

Also I encourage you to stay up with the latest healthy eating inspo and entertaining ideas by visit these amazing companies on Instagram @WellToldDesign @RicanteHotSauce @TopSeedz

This post is sponsored by the aforementioned companies and also contains Amazon affiliate links.

5 Minute Party Prep with seedz crackers, bacon pineapple dip and no alcohol Red Raiderade (like a Michelada tomato beer cocktail)
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No Alcohol Red Raiderade (Zero ABV Michelada)
Prep Time
2 mins
Total Time
2 mins
 

Enjoy all the flavor of a citrusy, spicy sparkling tomato drink without any alcohol — my easy Red Raiderade is low-cal, low-carb and no hangover.

Course: beverages, Drinks
Keyword: clamato, entertaining, low carb, no alcohol, party
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 36 kcal
Ingredients
  • Tajin Chili Lime seasoning for coating the glass rim
  • 4 ounces Clamato tomato juice
  • 4 ounces sparkling water, lemon or lime flavor (unsweetened)
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lime)
  • 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
  • 3 to 8 dashes tabasco sauce, depending on heat preference
  • Garnishes like lime slice, cherry tomato, pepper, etc
Instructions

  1. Wet rim of pint glass and set inverted on plat sprinkled with Tajin, move around to get some to stick to the rim.

  2. Turn back over and fill pint glass 1/3 with ice.

  3. Pour in Clamato, sparkling water, lime juice, Tabasco and worstershire sauce, gently stir with tall spoon or straw.

  4. Add any garnishes desired, enjoy.

Recipe Notes

36 calories, 6.5g net carb, 0 fat, 242mg sodium, 0.5g protein

Pull-Apart Italian Cheese Beef Party Bread

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Whether it’s a laid-back family dinner, a snack for football watching, potluck party offering, this easy recipe for Pull-Apart Italian Cheesy, Beefy Party Bread will make you the most popular person around.

Pull Apart Italian Cheese Beef Sourdough Party Bread makes a popular appetizer for your next party or a creative take on family pizza night!

Just imagine one giant sough dough round cut-up “Blooming Onion” style, drizzled with garlic and herb butter, stuffed with loads of ground beef and cheese, baked up until ooey-gooey – spicy sauce for dunking on the side. Wait, don’t imagine it – make this easy beef appetizer tonight!

Pull Apart Italian Cheese Beef Sourdough Party Bread makes a popular appetizer for your next party or a creative dinner for family pizza night.

If you’re wondering how to make sourdough party bread, it’s simple! Start with a big round loaf of artisan style sour dough bread with a nice hearty crust. Whether you make your own bread or prefer the convenience of bakery prepared, either work beautifully!

The key to making pull-apart pieces is the slice crosswise and lengthwise WITHOUT cutting all the way to the bottom crust. This allows for the long cubes to be pulled out later and dunked in sauce – no forks really required.

Pull Apart Italian Cheese Beef Sourdough Party Bread makes a popular appetizer for your next party or a creative dinner for family pizza night.

After cutting the loaf for pull apart party bread, the inside crevices are drizzled with herbed butter and then stuffed with ground beef and shredded cheese – then baked until ooey-gooey deliciousness. Serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping!

There is no macro nutrient or calorie running of this recipe, it is made just to be enjoyed and we often doing on family pizza night for a change!

Pull Apart Italian Cheese Beef Sourdough Party Bread makes a popular appetizer for your next party or a creative take on family pizza night!
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Italian Pull Apart Cheesy Beefy Party Bread
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Whether served as a snack for a party or casual alternative to family pizza night, this cheese and beef stuffed sourdough loaf is always a winner!

Course: Appetizer, party, Snack
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: beef, blue cheese, finger food, super bowl
Servings: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 large sourdough bread round
  • 1 stick Butter melted
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 12 oz. ground beef
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 8 oz. shredded cheese of choice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs like parsley or basil for sprinkling on top
  • Optional: 1 cup warmed marinara sauce
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
  2. In skillet, brown ground beef over medium-heat until cooked through – drain off any excess grease. Season with salt and red pepper. Set aside.
  3. Place soughdough load on baking pan and a sheet of foil Use serrated knife to slice ALMOST to the bottom of sourdough round in 1/2” slices. Don’t slice all the way down, leave about ¼” inch at the bottom so that loaf stays intact. Next, make ½” slices going in the other direction to create a grid of long bread sticks that can be pulled out later.
  4. Melt butter in small microwave-safe dish for approximately 20 – 30 seconds, stir in garlic and Italian seasoning. Using a small spoon drizzle garlic butter down into the crevices of bread.
  5. Next fill the crevices with ground beef and cheese, pushing down as needed.
  6. Pull foil up around bread, topping loosely with more foil if needed. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through and cheese bubbling.
  7. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with warmed sauce.

Pepperoni Pizza Style Stuffed Mushrooms for Instant Pot – Low Carb, Gluten Free

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Simple recipes for the win! Pepperoni Pizza Style Stuffed Mushrooms for Instant Pot are the perfect little low carb appetizer for game day – or any day!

Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms for the Instant Pot are a quick and easy hot appetizer that is low-carb, gluten-free and low in calories. A great choice for game day parties, entertaining, or as a side dish or snack.

You can even make this easy snack in the Instant Pot, read on for all the details on PAGE 2:

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