Lovin' From the Oven

Bacon Pizza Puffs

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Have you ever spent hours cleaning the whole house before guests come over, and in the end they don’t go anywhere but your kitchen?

Kitchens have a knack for instantly drawing guests in, becoming a comfort zone for conversation and catching up along with eating and drinking. You may even be left frustrated because you spent all your time cleaning the dining room, the patio, and the living room, only to have no one spend any time in those spots.

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Instead of trying to push guests into the other rooms of your home, why not embrace the fact that they’re loving being in your kitchen? What says home — enjoying meals, gathering together — like a kitchen? You may even spend most of your time in there, which makes it even more natural that your guests gravitate towards it. At least everyone is in one place!

Nothing makes a kitchen more inviting to guests like homemade, bite-sized treats. I’m usually all about the sweets, but I think a savory snack can bring more people into the kitchen when they first come over. Who doesn’t like snacking while catching up on life?

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These bacon pizza puffs are so enticing that no one can resist them. Trust me. One flavor-packed bite, they’re light and airy, with a little bit of bacon to make them satisfying. Serve them on colorful, eye-catching plates and place mats, and you’ll draw the attention of anyone who walks through the front door.

These puffs are baked in a mini-muffin tin, so they’re less messy to eat. You really don’t even need to bring out any plates, forks, or knives. Just pop them in your mouth, one at a time.

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Here are some other ideas for attracting your guests into the kitchen:

Keep it tidy. No one wants to hang out in a messy room, and you’ll be able to relax more if your space if neat and organized.

Let guests know that they are welcome to any beverages you have on hand by leaving glasses out on the counter, or in a pretty display.

Use warm and inviting colors in your decor. When I walk into a kitchen and the only color I see is white, I’m afraid to touch anything for fear that I’ll mess it up. I would hate to be the one that “dirties” a white kitchen.
If I were to see blue, yellow, and orange, like in the pictures above, I’d feel much more comfortable making myself at home.

Last but not least, the food! Line up a couple plates of mini appetizers, including these bacon pizza puffs, and everyone will be sure to enjoy their time visiting.

This recipe is slightly adapted from Hannah and Bryan.

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Bacon Pizza Puffs

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 24 mini puffs

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup cubed cooked and crumbled bacon
  • 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes.
  3. Stir in the egg and milk, mozzarella, Parmesan and bacon.
  4. Pour the mixture equally into the mini muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes.
  5. Warm the pizza sauce in the microwave or on the stove. Serve with the puffs.
https://lovintheoven.com/bacon-pizza-puffs/

So, if your guests gravitate to your kitchen, embrace it. Keep the space open, inviting, and stocked with snacks, and everyone will enjoy the party.

This post is part of BlogHer’s Kitchen Entertaining editorial series, made possible by KitchenAid.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

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Talk about a whirlwind of a week. How do girls plan weddings when they’re working/doing anything else in life but wedding planning? Also, how are weddings so dang expensive? That industry is a goldmine to be working in.

You know what else is impossible? Guests lists. After going through 16 years of school (19 years for my fiance), how do you keep the number down when both of your families make your head count already near 200? I’ve emailed at least 50 venues asking for a quote, and 80% of them are out of our budget with that many people. This. Is. Impossible.

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Let’s take a break from my overflowing mailbox and blog, shall we? Baking vegetables makes them a lot easier to eat. I’m not saying I hate vegetables, I’m saying I prefer my veggies seasoned and steaming. Since I don’t have a grill at my apartment, I opted to cook zucchini in the stove.

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The result? A perfect summer side. The paprika brings out the green in the zucchinis and create a festive plate.

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I served it alongside some skinny chicken pesto bake and even cooked them in the oven at the same time.

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Baked Parmesan Zucchini

Ingredients

  • 2 zucchinis, sliced in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • paprika and red cayenne pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Lay out speared zucchinis on a baking sheet, cut side facing up. Evenly spread the garlic on all four pieces.
  3. Add the parmesan cheese on top of each spear.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and red cayenne pepper, to taste. I add a lot of red cayenne pepper because I like the extra kick.
  5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
https://lovintheoven.com/baked-parmesan-zucchini/

 

Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Biscuits

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Sometimes, when I open my oven, I get so grateful for Pinterest introducing me to a little recipe from heaven. This is one of those times– Red Lobster Copycat Cheddar Biscuits.

I admit that this isn’t a healthy recipe, but that’s the reason why it’s so mouthwatering. Make it for special occasions: family reunions, block parties, or even a kid visiting home from college.
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These biscuits don’t require any yeast, which made it an appealing recipe for me. There’s no time waiting for any dough to rise! It’s like baking cookies, but you get savory instead of sweet.

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The dough itself is a little sticky to work with, but that’s not a problem since you literally drop the dough onto a baking sheet. You don’t have to mold them and they’ll still come out looking delicious because of the cheese, butter, and rosemary/basil on top.

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I don’t even think I ever ate at Red Lobster when I was little, so I can’t tell you if these taste like the real thing or not. All I know is that they’re dang good and you can’t eat just one.
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I love how the bottom of each biscuit got a nice and crunchy layer, making every bite that more special. The cheese on the bottom also hardens, like the asiago cheese on top of a bagel.
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I did find it a little strange that the biscuit itself didn’t brown very much, though. I would have liked them to come out of the oven more “toasted” looking rather than ghostly looking.
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Recipe from Erecipe Cards

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Cups Flour
  • 3 TBS Butter, COLD, cut into dice size
  • 1 TBS Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 3/4 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 3/4 Cup Milk
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 2 TBS Butter, Melted
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Fresh Herbs (I used Rosemary and Basil)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Add 1-1/2 Cups flour to a Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook attachment. Cut in 3 TBS COLD butter. Add the baking powder, garlic powder and salt.
  3. Slowly stir in the milk and cheese and knead for 30 seconds. Do not over mix.
  4. Divide into 8 Balls, drop on lined cookie sheet. Bake for 14 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, melt 2 TBS butter, mix in Garlic Powder and Herbs
  6. When biscuits come out of the oven, brush with garlic herb butter mix.
https://lovintheoven.com/red-lobster-copycat-cheddar-biscuits/

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