For our last article for the griff, we wanted to go out with a bang — or should we say a pop (as in jalapeño poppers). We assembled some tasty appetizer recipes (no entrées in this one, sorry for the misleading title) and spent an afternoon whipping them up in Eva’s kitchen. 

There were surprisingly few disasters so we feel confident you can tackle these easy recipes too. These appetizers are sure to hit, whether you’re looking to impress a few friends or your own stomach. 

Spinach/Artichoke Dip 

Ingredients: 

¼ cup mayonnaise 

¼ cup sour cream

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 tbsp garlic 

⅔ cup mozzarella 

Half a jar of pickled artichokes (or one can of artichokes) 

½ cup chopped frozen spinach (thawed and drained) 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350C degrees. 

Cream together the mayonnaise, sour cream, softened cream cheese, garlic, and mozzarella. 

Add the artichokes and spinach and stir. 

Spread the mixture into a greased oven-safe dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the dip is bubbly and golden. 

Serve warm with chips or bread. 

Sriracha Deviled-Boiled Eggs

Ingredients:

4 eggs

¼ cup regular mayonnaise

2 tbsp garlic mayonnaise

1 tbsp hot mustard

1 shallot 

2 tsp Sriracha and more for drizzle

1 tsp paprika and more for garnish

Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil then lower heat and set a timer for 11 minutes. Place cooked eggs in cold water after the timer goes off.

While eggs are cooling, chop shallot and place in a small mixing bowl. 

Add mayonnaise, hot mustard, sriracha, and paprika and mix well. 

Peel eggs and cut lengthwise into halves. Scoop out the yolk and add to the sauce mixture. Mix well.

If you are feeling fancy you can pipe the mixture into the egg halves but plopping it in with a spoon also works.

Sprinkle paprika on filled eggs and drizzle with sriracha.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers 

Ingredients:

3 jalapeño peppers

4 oz. softened cream cheese

3 tbsp herb and garlic cream cheese

6 strips of uncooked bacon

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp paprika 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 400C. 

Wash the jalapeño peppers and cut lengthwise. Scoop out the seeps from the peppers. 

Mix the softened cream cheese with the herb and garlic cream cheese and mozzarella. Stir in the spices. 

Fill the jalapeños with the cheese mixture and wrap with the bacon. 

Bake the jalapeño poppers for 25 minutes, then turn the heat up to 450C and bake for another 5 minutes.  The cheese should be golden brown and the bacon should be crispy. 

Recipes inspired by the following: 

https://www.cookingclassy.com/spinach-artichoke-dip/
https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/bacon-wrapped-jalapeno-poppers/#wprm-recipe-container-10357