Fall Harvest Party – Part 2

And now on to the star of the party, the food!

As I mentioned in part 1 of Fall Harvest Party, I would share my menu ideas for my first Fall Harvest Party!

I have a few starters in mind including our Chicken Nachos. I chose this recipe because it is very easy, convenient and it’s super delicious. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts about the nachos and as always, would love to hear other tips on what I should serve at my party!

Chicken Nachos
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Serves: 6


Ingredients:

1/2 cup Pace® Chunky Salsa
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
2 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
1 bag (about 10 ounces) tortilla chips
Chopped tomato
Sliced green onion
Sliced pitted ripe olives

Directions:

HEAT the salsa, soup and chicken in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring often.

PLACE the chips on a platter. Spoon the chicken mixture over the chips. Top with the tomato, onion and olives.


Best, and until next time, Kaitlin.

Fall Harvest Party – Part 1

This is the start of something good.

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather cools down, the leaves change and my favorite vegetables are in season. Since there are a lot of activities in the fall based around the change of season, I was thinking of throwing a Fall Harvest Party. What fun! I’ve never been to one nor have I even heard of one before so, I decided to have a little fun with my friends this fall season.

Let’s start with the invitations. My initial idea was to somehow use the beautiful fall leaves from my local park. I simply used craft glue and good quality construction paper. Depending on how crafty you are, you can hand write the fall message or you can print it on your home computer. I always feel like a handwritten invitation is personal and will essentially set the mood for your fall party.

When it comes to decorating, I have a secret, but, don’t worry, I’ll let you all in. Here it comes… decorating is not my forte. I am still learning and it is all an experiment as I plan my parties. I love pumpkins and what better way to decorate during the fall than with assorted pumpkins. A visit to your local farmer’s market during the fall season can help with a selection of different sizes, shapes and colors of pumpkins. I’m planning on piling several odd shaped pumpkins and gourds into a tall vase.

Moving onto entertainment. There are a ton of fall party ideas on the Internet. I decided to have the guests create a memento of my first Fall Harvest Party. I plan to set up my digital camera, take a lot of shots and print photos right there at the party. I will have my guests create a fall picture frame. I found a really cool project on Kaboose.com, which will guide you through this fun activity. Your guests will leave with a fond memory and it will add a layer of unique entertainment to your get-together.

I am so excited about planning my first Fall Harvest Party! In my next blog post, I will talk about my favorite aspect of entertaining, the food!

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin.

Happy Football Entertaining!

Happy Fall Everyone! I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus over the summer. Traveling, visiting family and of course, entertaining friends. I have a ton of new ideas, fun and easy recipes and party tips that I will be sharing over the next few weeks.

As some of you may know, I work with Swanson and we spent most of our summer months testing new recipes. I will be sharing those as we move away from the slow pace of the summer into the fall and then onto my favorite time of the year, the Holidays.

With the football season under way, I thought it would be great to kick it off with my favorite football tailgating recipe, the infamous Buffalo Chicken Dip! This dip has become so popular that the Facebook Fan Page has grown to over 10,000 Fans! Check it out here www.facebook.com/buffalochickendip. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on their summer and the upcoming fall season. Most of all, I’d love your tips on how you like to spice up tailgating with new recipes and tips.

Until next time, I will be signing off… Enjoy the Buffalo Chicken Dip!

Frank’s® RedHot® Buffalo Chicken Dip:

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cans (9.75 oz each) Swanson® Premium Chunk Chicken Breast, drained
½ cup Frank’s ® RedHot ® Sauce
½ cup blue cheese salad dressing
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Assorted fresh vegetables and/or crackers


Directions:
1. Stir cream cheese in 9” deep pie dish until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 20 min. until hot and bubbling. Stir. Serve with vegetables and crackers.

Tips:

* Substitute ranch dressing for blue cheese dressing and shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese for blue cheese crumbles.
* Make this in the microwave by heating it on high for 5 minutes instead of baking
* Keep it warm in a crockpot or slow cooker

Here is a great tip if you are grilling: Prepare the dip ahead of time in a heavy-duty disposable foil pan. Before serving, just heat over a medium to medium-high grill, stirring occasionally until dip is hot.