Frank's RedHot Dipping Sauce 5 Ways -Dollar Tree Find

I always say going to Dollar Tree is kind of like going on a scavenger hunt, you never know what you might find. That was the case with this Frank's Golden Dip'n Sauce. They had just gotten a delivery and boxes were stacked on the floor and hadn't even been opened yet... As soon as I saw Frank's, I broke into the box:@) Then I began to wonder what I could do with it, besides dipping chicken nuggets... 

The first thing I made was this super easy Macaroni Chicken Salad. Add whatever you like, onion, peppers, maybe some dill pickle or pickled jalapeno... Then sub the mayo for the Frank's Dipping Sauce, wa-la, a very nice lunch indeed:@) And it doesn't have to be chicken, use pork, tuna, hard boiled eggs, any protein of choice.

It's been a while since we tried something new and Easter is coming... So I thought I'd whip up some Two Ingredient Deviled Eggs with Frank's Dipping Sauce. Yes folks, this adds a nice bar-b-que twist to deviled eggs! I loved the sweetness the sauce added. Simply mash the yolks and add enough sauce to make a smooth filling. I added the pickled jalapeno for garnish, but honestly, these are really best plain. I didn't even need to add S&P.

Other uses for the sauce? 

• A no-brainer is using it as a dip for potato chips. If your crew likes BBQ chips, they will love this.
• I heated up some meatballs and Jimmy Dean sausage links, added a toothpick and gave them a good dose of the sauce. An easy and very filling appy for game day.
• And of course, as indicated earlier, I'm sure it was created to be served with chicken nuggets and similar items. 

What I bought:

Is the sauce hot? The label calls it mild, I'd say there's a hint of heat, kind of what you'd expect from a product made by Frank's Hot Sauce. The back of the bottle says: A smoky and spicy twist on Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce. I say, well worth the $1.25...

Try something new and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Creamy BBQ Sauce -Dip or Sandwich Condiment

One of my mindless diversions is QVC, and as long as I don't buy anything... It's harmless:@) And sometimes I even learn things. I was watching a presentation for Corky's Chicken Bites and the presenter said his favorite condiment is this Creamy BBQ Dipping Sauce. *Please note, this isn't their name for it (I forgot what they call it). Then I started thinking, great with chicken yes, great on a hamburger yes, great with tator tots yes, but as lots of folks are partaking in Fish Fridays, how about fish? Well I'm here to say I give it a big ole yes! No doubt this would really make a great fish sandwich...

Also good with fish: Buff-A-Tar Sauce here.

And as a true dipping sauce with chicken:

Creamy BBQ Dipping Sauce

50/50 your favorite ranch dressing and BBQ Sauce.

~Mix, chill, and serve -yep, it's that easy.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Pumpkin Schmear, Jello Cake, Mummy Dip & What's Your Halloween Name?

Well folks, here we are, the last weekend before Halloween. Is it just me or did October fly by? So in the spirit of having a little holiday fun I thought I'd share a couple -frighteningly good- ideas from the archives... This Pumpkin Schmear is a great way to start the day, and who doesn't like bagels?

Having a party? May I suggest a colorful, and tasty, Jello Layer Cake. This is a fun alternative to poke cakes and it's easy and very festive:@)

How about a Mummy Avocado Dip,

a tad healthier and cute!

And just for fun...

Have a spookily good weekend:@)

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce Cream Cheese Dip

You may have heard me say this before folks... Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ideas. I saw this Sweet Thai Chili Sauce Cream Cheese Dip on the Kraft site and since I had the two ingredients on-hand... Gave it a try:@) This is very tasty for such a simple idea. It's intended to be served with crackers, but I also think it would work with anything from potato chips, tortilla chips, bagel chips, pita chips, to celery and pepper sticks. And part of the beauty is, you can set out as much, or as little, as you'd like. I might even try using a whipped cream cheese next time for extra easy schmearing.

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce Cream Cheese Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened well

1 C Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

~Place cream cheese in serving dish (one shaped kind of like a bowl would be best) and top with Chili Sauce. Serve with crackers and dippers at room temperature.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Savory Pumpkin Cream Cheese Chip Dip

This Savory Pumpkin Cream Cheese Chip Dip was different and a good way to use up some leftover canned pumpkin. It seems that unless we are making a pie, recipes don't use a whole can of pumpkin puree. While this calls for storing the dip in the refrigerator until serving time, I do recommend bringing it out a little early to allow the cream cheese to soften a bit for dipping potato chips. And we do want hearty chips with ridges:@) Recipe is easily cut in half.

Leftovers? 

Great schmeared on a bagel:@)

Savory Pumpkin Cream Cheese Chip Dip-from here

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 C shredded cheddar

1/2 C pumpkin puree

1/4 C pecans, toasted and chopped

4-6 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix everything together, can use electric beater or spoon.
2. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Serve with chips.

Let's use up all that extra pumpkin, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Dollar Store Salmon Chip Dip Recipe

You probably already know I'm not a big seafood person, but I do like tuna fish, and canned or pouched salmon is pretty darn close to tuna fish. And while I'm sure this dip would be ~amazing~ with some leftover grilled salmon from last night's dinner, in my world, I grabbed a pouch of Bumble Bee (or Chicken of the Sea, I forget which brand it was) at Dollar Tree to whip up this Salmon Chip Dip:@) It had lots of flavor and a little bite from onion, peppers and olives. And please be sure to serve this with the nice big potato chips that have the hearty ridges. Good stuff folks. If you mix it and decide you'd like it just a tad looser, add a few drops of lemon juice or maybe even hot sauce.

I'm calling this Dollar Store Salmon Chip Dip because I had the thought to make it when I saw the salmon at Dollar Tree. Of course these pouches can be found anywhere from Walmart to supermarkets.

Salmon Chip Dip

For each 2 1/2 to 3oz pouch of salmon squeezed dry (I just pull the top off, tap the fish back into the envelope, fold it in half lengthwise, squeeze the top tight and wring some of the liquid out):

1 1/2 Tblsp mayonnaise 

1 1/2 Tblsp sour cream

1 1/2 Tblsp finely diced onion of choice

1 1/2 Tblsp finely diced fresh peppers of choice, jalapeno is nice:@)

1 1/2 Tblsp finely diced olives

Few grates of fresh lemon zest if not using lemon pepper salmon

Couple shakes of your favorite seasoned salt

Couple shakes of garlic powder

Few hearty grinds of black pepper

pinch of diced fresh parsley if you have it

~Mix well, chill for at least 1/2 hour before serving with potato chips.

Enjoy a Snack and Have a Happy Day:@)

Are You Ready For... Party Dip Season!!!

Well folks, here we are at the beginning of serious (or super casual) entertaining season. Thought I'd share some of my favorite Dip Recipes, all easy, all will feed a crowd -or- can be scaled down, and all have been PIM tested and crew approved:@) Don't hesitate to make any of these for game day or your next get-together...

Apricot Horseradish Cream Cheese Dip for Crackers

Someone shared this recipe waaaay back in the Air Force, 

good stuff folks:@)

BLT Dip for Chips

~Hard~ to stop eating...

Smoked Sausage Appy with Hot Pepper Jelly/Mustard Dip

A nosh that's sure to fill you up and great for tailgating, 

(this did get a hearty thumbs-up from us)...

Peanut Butter Dip (Football shape optional:@)

Had to add something sweet...

And finally, Barbie's favorite...

A retro two ingredient recipe:

Classic Velveeta Chili Dip

16 oz Velveeta cut into 1/2" chunks

15 oz can chili, with or without beans

~Mix both in microwavable bowl 5 minutes on high, stirring half way through, or until cheese has melted. Serve with chips and/or veggies.

📌You can find my Dips and Cheese Ball Pinterest Board here.

🏈Have a great weekend!

Zucchini Salsa -Doctored Store Bought Salsa, End of July Garden & Barbie...

2024 will not go down as the Year of Zucchini in the PIM raised bed garden, but... I did have a half of a zuke leftover in the fridge and decided to doctor store bought salsa to use it up. I simply grated the zucchini, wrung some of the liquid out in a dish towel, and mixed it half and half to make this Zucchini Salsa snack. It added a little freshness and ~maybe~ made it a tad more healthy:@) 

Thought I'd share a few pics of the garden, these were taken on July 28th. First time I've planted coleus in the anchor bed, I love the pretty pop of color and that it has been a fairly maintenance free plant.

Things have gotten a little... unruly. I've been growing vegetables my whole life and have never had cucumbers last this long into the season. Now, for clarity, the -plants- are very happy, I'm not saying they are producing tons of cukes:@) But I do occasionally find one or two. And as you can see, the large tomatoes are ripening up nicely, and I've had plenty to share.

On the left is the pepper side of the garden, small plants, but as I posted on Wednesday, they are making peppers:@) Experiment for next year: Pick every blossom and itty pepper off of the plants in the beginning of the season. I don't know if that's what stunted the plant growth, but guessing it didn't help... Zucchini, yellow squash, and zinnias have all been pulled out already, but I still have lots of color and plenty to eat!

The planter 8/3/24: 

That grape tomato plant is amazing!!!

What has Barbie been up to as I'm sweating (and swatting mosquitoes) in the garden??? While I doubt they'd be very helpful in keeping a drink colder or floating a can upright on top of the water... These inflatable beverage holders sure do make cute pool toys! This is a fun idea for pictures and dioramas, or if your girl would like to take Barbie swimming with her. And the best news, they only take about three breaths to fill:@) I've seen several designs at Dollar Tree.

Doctored Zucchini Salsa

50/50 ratio:

1. Equal parts store bought salsa and grated zucchini that's been squeezed dry.
2. Mix and serve with chips or as a condiment.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Jalapeno Ranch Dip -Two Ingredients

This Jalapeno Ranch Dip is another super simple way to add some zing and spice up game day wings, your chip platter, or your next charcuterie board. Or how about serving it with bite size kielbasa as an appy. Start with your favorite ranch dressing, and finely dice some fresh jalapeno. How much? Well, you know your crowd:@) I did clean my 'penos well, but again, that's up to you. Sometimes the easiest ideas are just enough to create a special dish. Don't hesitate to try this folks, it might just become your signature dip for parties!

Jalapeno Ranch Dip

Your favorite ranch dressing

Fresh jalapeno(s), finely diced

1. Simply mix the dressing and jalapenos to your desired taste and heat level.
2. Chill and serve with wings, meats, vegetables, potato chips, tortilla chips, etc.

Snack well and Have a Happy Day:@)

S'mores Dip

We all love the ooey gooey s'mores we make over the campfire, but don't always have a fire available:@) This super simple S'mores Dip starts with melted chocolate chips, then I toasted the marshmallows under the broiler. Use your favorite chips, milk chocolate would be traditional, I had semi-sweet in the house. Is it a special occasion or holiday? Maybe add some birthday or seasonal sprinkles once out of the oven. And of course the dip gets served with graham crackers. We can always add pretzels, vanilla wafers, animal crackers, apple slices or celery if desired. The best part, make as much or as little as you'd like (this is my 5" mini pie dish). Good stuff folks...

One Note: This is a treat that has to be watched carefully though... There's always a chance the marshmallows puff up and expand, we don't want them hitting the broiler element. Tailgating? I'd make them in a foil pan at home, then just reheat on the grill until the chocolate re-melts.

S'mores Dip

Chocolate chips

Mini marshmallows

Sprinkles-optional

Graham crackers or other dippers

1. Place chips in baking dish. 11-ish oz bag will fit in anywhere from a 9" pie plate to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
2. Melt chips in microwave or oven, stir until smooth. I used the microwave at 20 second increments.
3. Cover chocolate with marshmallows.
4. Place under 400 degree pre-heated broiler. Watch carefully, remove from oven when marshmallows are toasted and brown.
5. Serve with dippers.

Enjoy a snack and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Lemon Greek Yogurt Basil Vegetable Dip & Dollar Store Charcuterie Board

This Lemon Greek Yogurt and Fresh Basil Dip for Vegetables couldn't be easier and only calls for two ingredients. Ok, maybe four if you'd like to count salt and pepper:@) And as far as dips go, it's pretty darn healthy too! I like the idea of using flavored yogurt, and Walmart's Great Value brand has a nice mellow lemon taste. Add some veggies (peas are from the garden), some crisp pepperoni chips, spiced olives (recipe coming soon), and crackers... I called this lunch-good stuff folks.

I wanted to mention, if you're making charcuterie for just a few people, Dollar Tree has these tempered glass cutting boards. While I'm not a big fan of using glass for cutting, I do like this square 8" size as a board, and feel it's well worth the $1.25:@)

How to make Microwave Pepperoni Chips here.

Some boards have inspirational sayings or cute scenes on them, they come in square or round. I chose square clear glass.

The yogurt I used:

The snow peas were small but plentiful this year:@)

Lemon Greek Yogurt & Fresh Basil Dip

5.3 oz-ish Greek Lemon Yogurt

8 basil leaves, very finely minced

Generous few grinds of coarse black pepper

Pinch of salt

~Mix well, let marinate in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes and serve with vegetables.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Fish Fillets or Sticks with Buffa-Tar Sauce

If you’ve been around Pig In Mud for a while you probably noticed I don’t post fish as a general rule. But I’m sure you noticed I like hot sauce:@) And the star of this store bought fish fillet meal for lunch is the Buffa-Tar Sauce. I'm sure this isn't a new idea, but I didn't even bother looking around... Basically a 2:1:1/2 ratio of mayo to hot sauce to relish. And you can spice it up even more if you happen to have some Homemade Jalapeno Relish on-hand. Good stuff folks.

A ~very nice~ lunch:@)

And perfect for Fish Fridays...

Buffa-Tar Sauce

Seriously easy…

2 parts mayonnaise, 1 part hot sauce, 1/2 part any relish you like.

Stir and serve with seafood, french fries, tator tots, etc.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Easy Football Party Treats-Super Bowl! Candy, Cookies, Brownies, Marshmallows, etc...

If you've been around Pig In Mud for a while you know I love football theme'd foods and party ideas. And I'm especially fond of ~easy~ snacks for any occasion... So I thought we'd do a quick round-up of the easiest ways to bring a little fun to your Super Bowl Party. I'll start off with a no-brainer, purchased team color candy. And to help keep us on budget this year, both teams just happen to be red and yellow/gold:@)

My Dollar Tree Candy:

I like to cut these in half, 

making them bite size.

Does your store have Easter candy yet? Party City may also have some of these foil wrapped sports balls. Perfect little treats to add to charcuterie boards or serving bowls. 

These sprinkles are in the cake decorating section of Walmart. For some reason the red looks maroon and pink in this pic, they are a true red. The sprinkles can decorate baked goods, or you can dip pretzels, marshmallows, or purchased cookies, into melted chocolate, or candy melts, and then into the sprinkles.

Candy Coated Marshmallows with Sprinkles

or colored sugar.

A few more snack ideas:

Football Cupcake Decoration using store bought Icing ~ Football Spritz Cookies ~ Football Shaped Peanut Butter Dip ~ Football Shaped Large Brownie

So there we have just a few ideas to help make the party festive. I really don't have a team to root for this year, so I'll be watching for the E-Trade babies commercial and hoping I win a quarter in my office block pool:@) 

🏈Happy Super Bowl Weekend Everyone,

Have a Great Day:@)

Old Fashioned Ham Salad -Dip or Sandwich Spread -Retro Recipe

Still have a little leftover ham in the freezer to use up? This Old Fashioned Ham Salad is the kind of thing my G-Mom-B would make. She had a hand cranked meat grinder and wasn't afraid to use it:@) Today we would use a food processor or knife. Grandmom would definitely use this as a sandwich spread, in my world it's more of a dip... The only thing I left out was the hard boiled egg. In my view, that would only be added if she was low on meat, or needed to stretch it to feed more people. Also, I seriously doubt Grandmom ever had Dijon mustard... She'd just use yellow. This is a very tasty recipe that will most likely appeal to anyone that doesn't mind "crunchy things" in their salads. Recipe easily scaled down.

And of course, this is ~your~ salad...

Want to add onion? Great.

Want to add dill weed? Great.

Anything goes...

Don't hesitate to give it a try folks, 

I called this lunch one fine Saturday afternoon:@)

Old Fashioned Ham Salad-from Retro Recipes

1 lb fully cooked ham, chunky grind or small dice

1 rib celery, rough chopped

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1 Tblsp sweet pickles, chopped

1 Tblsp sweet pickle relish, or to taste

3/4 C mayonnaise

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

Bread, crackers, bagel chips, and/or celery and bell peppers for dipping

~~Mix everything through black pepper, serve as desired.

Let's repurpose those leftovers and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Hot Dog Love♥Stuffed Jalapeno Pigs in a Blanket, Deviled Dogs & Amish Sweet Heat Mustard

Sometimes I think hot dogs are a little underrated... Just sayin'... So I thought we'd put together a round-up of a few fun ideas for the last couple weeks of football:@) Let's start with Stuffed Jalapeno Pigs in a Blanket. Talk about elevating a snack! These take a little work, but are worth every second. Maybe make half with 'penos, half the good old fashioned way with just the roll and weenie.

These Deviled Hot Dog Bites are a retro 1952 recipe from Franks, and the perky taste will wake the crowd up at half time for sure:@)

And the last recipe is for a condiment, we all ~loved~ this Amish Sweet Mustard Spread for hotdogs or pretzels. Heck, it's so good you'll want to smear it on everything! Don't hesitate to try it folks, I think you'll like it:@)

Looking for more party food ideas?

My ♥Pinterest Boards here.

🏈Enjoy the party prep, and

Have a Great Weekend:@)

Hawaiian Pizza Dip -Oven or Little Dipper Crock Pot

Can you feel the excitement of playoff football in the near future??? Big games call for great snacks and this Hawaiian Pizza Dip is a winner! Mix, do a little layering and bake (or add to your Little Dipper Crock Pot) and you'll have a hearty munchie that's ~almost~ as substantial as lunch... It's also a nice way to use up some leftover ham. I whipped this up as an appy for Sunday dinner and it was a big hit, my favorite dipper was the bagel chips, you can even find them at Dollar Tree. Don't hesitate to give this a try folks, it's good stuff:@)

Recipe is easily cut in half or even less, 

just guesstimate, it doesn't need to be exact.

Hawaiian Pizza Dip-from Three Boys and a Dog

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese-divided

1/4 C parmesan

14 oz jar pizza sauce

1/4 C diced onion-I forgot this

1 tsp garlic powder

8 oz ham, chopped

8 oz crushed pineapple, drained well

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes-optional

Dippers: Crackers, Frito Scoops, French bread, Melba toast, bagel chips, etc.

1. Mix cream cheese, 1C mozzarella, parmesan, pizza sauce, onion, and garlic powder. 
2. Pour into sprayed baking dish. I used a shallow 23 oz Corelle dish for half of the recipe. I'm guessing a 1 quart to 1 1/2 quart would be fine for the whole recipe. Or even a pie dish.
3. Sprinkle on top, ham, pineapple, the other 1C of mozzarella, top with the Italian Seasoning and pepper flakes if using. I just added a few shakes of the pepper flakes.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned. 
5. Alternately: Mix everything, add to Little Dipper Crock Pot, place paper towels under lid, plug in for about 2 1/2-3 hours.

Enjoy a snack and have a happy day:@)

Jack-O-Lantern Refried Bean Dip & Red October Pumpkin

What I love about this super cute Jack-O-Lantern Refried Bean Dip is, you can make it as large, or small, as you'd like:@) As a point of reference, mine is on a standard 10" dinner plate. This would be cute for a Halloween party, or as a snack for spooky movie night... It's served at room temperature, so no worries about having to heat it up. But, if there happens to be leftovers, mix it all together, heat in microwave and roll it in a flour tortilla. Good stuff folks. 

What I did:

1. Spread refried beans (either canned or homemade) into a thick pumpkin shape on serving dish. Don't forget to make a stem... I used homemade but would guess this is about 28 oz.
2. I made ridges in the beans with the back of a spoon so I could spoon salsa into them. Carefully add salsa.
3. I started with finely grated yellow cheddar cheese and gave it a rough chop. Carefully place on raised part of pumpkin.
4. Chop black olives and add as eyes, nose and mouth.
5. If you need to neaten things up a bit, use the tip of a knife to help nudge cheese and olives around.
6. Add chopped chives, or anything green to stem.
7. Serve with tortilla chips.

Another option...

Back in 2014 I made a Graveyard Bean Dip:

A cute, and fairly healthy munchie...

And I had to share my Jack-O-Lantern:

Pumpkin is from my son's garden.

Red October:@) 

⚾GO PHILLIES!!!

🎃Make something just for fun, and

Have a Happy Day:@)