Cheesy Mexican Street Corn Chicken Wraps

If you love Mexican street corn, these snack-size chicken wraps will be your new favorite party recipe.

Corn Dog Bites! Delightful 2-Ingredient Recipe

I've only had one proper corn dog in my life. Not a fan. I like to see my hotdog before committing to a bite. Who knows what's hiding beneath that cornmeal crust! But I do love cornbread. And I extra-love hot dogs. So I get my fix from these crazy 2-ingredient Corn Dog Bites.

DIY or Buy It: The Silky-Smooth Hummus Of Your Dreams!

Who else wants to hibernate and eat snacks until spring is here? ME! When I'm feeling peckish but kind virtuous, this 5-ingredient hummus is my go-to recipe! Warning: You will eat the whole bowl. And that's okay! Cuz you made it yourself.

Cheesy Bacon–Brussels Sprout Potato Skins for Cozy Snacking!

With one day until Super Bowl Sunday, it's time to get your game face on! Earlier this week, I shared my recipe for potato skins on Freutcake and I've been thinking about snacks ever since.

Fast & Fresh (No-Cook) Nachos & Plenty-o-Tequila—The Best Summer Staycation Staples! xo

While my lovely friend Leah's sipping gorgeous margaritas in Tulum, I'm sharing an easy no-cook recipe on her blog and planning a Mexi-inspired staycation of my own! Care to join me? I think we should all kick back, find a friend with a pool, and veg out with magazines and cocktails for a few days (or at least a few hours)—deal!? 

5-Ingredient Queso Fundido—The Cheesiest Dip Ever & My Latest On Freutcake!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, all! Do you have any plans to celebrate? If not, I think you should totally treat yourself to a cheesy, after-work reward! My easy Queso Fundido—just about the ooeiest, gooiest cheese dip of your dreams topped with chorizo—is ready in a flash and only calls for 5-ingredients...

5-Ingredient Spring Veggie Pizzas—My Latest On Freutcake!

If you head over to Freutcake today, you'll get the dirty little secret behind my super-last-minute Spring Veggie Pizza recipe. Without giving too much away, let's just say that I'm starting to embrace my complete lack of time management once sunshine and warm weather lures me outside. 

Skinny No-Fry Cauliflower Nuggets with Three Dips—Simple Snack!

Here's a satisfying snack to get you through those chilly almost-spring days (without compromising your lean leg reveal once the tights finally come off). My cauliflower nuggets are roasted not fried. Dip 'em in one (or all) of the sauces: Spicy Soy, Garlic-Herb and Beer-Cheese—the most indulgent of the bunch...

5-Ingredient Miniature Sour Dough–Green Apple French Toast Bites!

There are two brunch seasons according to the magazine calendar: December/January and early spring. Through osmosis over the years, I seem to have adopted this work-related timeline in my personal life. I'll host a killer New Years breakfast, then totally ignore AM-entertaining until J.Crew's hawking short-shorts and liberty print again.   

The Ultimate 10-Minute Snack Stadium—Last Minute Super Bowl Idea!

Before we all sign off for the weekend, I have a few last-minute Super Bowl recipes and ideas that I'd love to share with you. Get ready, it's going to be crazy, man. First up, my 10-Minute Snack Stadium!

Easy Appetizer: Spicy Lambs-In-a-Blanket—My Latest On Freutcake!

While I will always be a classicist when it comes to pigs-in-a-blanket, giving the standard snack a few ingredient upgrades makes it feel less, well, piggish...especially when you consume the volume that I do on Super Bowl Sunday...

The Ultimate Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese—Easy Super Bowl Snack!

Okay, lovely friends! Super Bowl Sunday is less than one week away and I'm dying to know what your plans are: Are you watching/hosting/planning something delicious? Fill me in! 

5-Ingredient Easy Blue Cheese Gougeres—My Latest On Freutcake!

If you stop by Leah Bergman's blog—Freutcake!— this morning, you'll find my super-easy recipe for these Blue Cheese Gougeres. I love to adopt a "cocktail party" mindset even when I'm hosting a big dinner, like Thanksgiving, especially during the first few hours guests are over...

Tequila-Soaked Watermelon with Basil-Salt!

Happy almost 5 o'clock, my lovely friends! I have a special after-hours treat for you: Tequila-Soaked Watermelon with Basil-Salt. Think of this as a sweet-and-salty edible cocktail of sorts. 

Simple Summer Appetizer: Cherry Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta!

Hello, hello! Happy Monday morning. I hope you all had a fabulous long weekend and a very happy 4th of July. It was refreshing to have a little time off, right?

Boyfriend and I spent a few days out on Long Island visiting my family. My godmother, whom you may remember as the woman responsible for these outrageous brownies, hosts a mammoth July 4th party each year. My favorite thing on the menu: Cherry Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta (above). Good lord, they were tasty! And so super simple. 

As I mentioned to BuzzFeed Food, we're a diehard Ina Garten family—perhaps it's the Long Island connection (we used to go to the Barefoot Contessa Store in East Hampton all of the time)! This crostini recipe is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook. If you can't find pine nuts or if they're too expensive, just omit them, that's what we did! Also, you can prep the crostini, tomato mixture and whipped feta ahead of time and store separately until you're ready to serve. Here's how you do it...

INA’S TOMATO CROSTINI WITH WHIPPED FETA
SERVES: 8
6 ounces crumbled feta
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons minced shallots (2 shallots)

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved

3 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

20 to 25 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. Make the whipped feta: Put the feta and cream cheese in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until combined. Add 1/3 cup olive oil, the lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth.

2. Make the tomatoes: An hour before serving, combine the shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl; set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and taste for seasonings.

3. To assemble the crostini, spread each slice of bread with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place the tomatoes on top. Put the crostini on plates and scatter with the pine nuts, if using. Sprinkle with more basil.

Oh! And, if you're interested, here are a few fun photos from our holiday weekend at the beach. What did you do for the 4th? Go anywhere exciting? Cook anything delicious? I'd love to know! xo Erin

Lobster with Curry Butter about to go on the grill. Greek oregano in my parents' garden.

Long Island Sound at sunset.

Fourth of July bonfire. Grilled asparagus with shallot vinaigrette.

Peach pie ready to bake. Lambrusco in the backyard (below)!

[Crostini recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook 2012 Crown Publishing Group]

Retro Hors d'Oeuvres: Wine-Stained Cheddar for Mad Men Viewing Party!

Good morning and happy Friday, lovely friends! Are any of you planning to watch the season premiere of Mad Men this weekend? A bunch of friends are hosting viewing parties and have unearthed some pretty amazing retro hors d'Oeuvre recipes for the occasion. I found a wine-soaked cheddar cheese recipe in the 1965 Good Housekeeping 10 pm Cookbook while doing research for my 31 No-Cook Appetizer story and have been obsessed with the idea every since—it sounds so strange! Could it actually work? Could I give it my own modern twist!? There's only one way to find out...

WINE-STAINED CHEDDAR CHEESE TOASTS

WINE-STAINED CHEDDAR CHEESE TOATS
SERVES: 6

1 (8-oz) piece sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

1 cup Burgundy or other red wine

Pinch of salt

Crackers, for serving

1 to 2 tablespoons torn basil leaves

Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper 

Olive oil, for drizzling

1. Put the cheddar, wine and a pinch of salt in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours; drain and pat the cheese dry. 

2. Put wine-stained cheddar on crackers. Sprinkle with basil leaves, Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. 

Note: It works! There's a reason why wine and cheese taste so fabulous together. This is an excellent party trick to remember when you're feeling lazy—serve cubes plain or on dressed-up crackers like I did, above. Oh yeah, I'll definitely be serving this again.

18 Must-Try Deviled Egg Recipes: Easy & Chic Make-Ahead Appetizers!

Good morning, lovely friends! Deviled eggs have been on my brain since I developed this quickie story (above) for the April '13 issue of the magazine—they lend themselves so well to different flavor combinations! With Easter approaching and springtime entertaining just weeks away, I figured I'd share a few can't-miss deviled egg recipes with you from around the web. Here's what I'm hankering to make, if you're interested...

Old Bay Deviled Eggs by Martha Stewart Living!

Beet-Pickled Deviled Eggs by brilliant Mr. Ian Knauer for the November '08 issue of Gourmet magazine (loved and photographed by Emily Schuman of Cupcakes & Cashmere)!

Watercress Deviled Eggs by Williams-Sonoma—love the combination of watercress, lemon and green onion!

Southern Deviled Eggs by chef Trevor Higgins for Garden & Gun magazine (he stuffs 'em with Sriracha, bacon fat and smoked salmon)! 

Spicy Deviled Eggs with Poppy Seeds by Martha Stewart Living.

Ranch Deviled Eggs by Melissa D'Arabian, topped with barbecue sauce!

Wasabi Deviled Eggs by Martha Stewart Living!

Prosciuttop-Topped Deviled Eggs by the lovely blog, Pixelated Crumb!

Dying to make these Crab & Chive Deviled Eggs by Real Simple magazine!

Lobster Deviled Eggs by Michele Ragussis—so luxe!

Chile-Cheddar Deviled Eggs by Ted Allen.

BLT Deviled Eggs (the blog's written in Polish—copy/paste the recipe into Google Translator. It's worth it)!

And finally, Country Ham Deviled Eggs by chef Ford Fry for Food & Wine magazine and Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs by Baked By Rachel!

Which are these recipes sound the most appealing to you!? Any you're dying to try. I think the crab & chive eggs are first on my list xo Erin

 [4 Ways Deviled Eggs recipes by me! and photos by Kate Sears / Old Bay Deviled Eggs photo from Martha Stewart Living / Beet-Pickled Deviled Eggs recipe by Ian Knauer and photo by Emily Schuman of Cupcakes & Cashmere / Watercress Deviled Egg photo from Williams-Sonoma / Southern Deviled Eggs recipe by Trevor Higgins and photo by Pete Frank Edwards / Spicy Deviled Eggs photo by Martha Stewart Living / Ranch Deviled Eggs photo by Levi Brown / Wasabi Deviled Egg photo by Martha Stewart Living / Prosciutto Topped Deviled Egg recipe and photo by Pixelated Crumb / Crab and Chive Deviled Egg photo by Levi Brown / Lobster Deviled Egg recipe by Michele Ragussis and photo from FoodNetwork.com / Chile-Cheddar Deviled Egg recipe by Ted Alan and photo by Levi Brown / BLT Deviled Eggs recipe and photo by Bee Magazyn a / Country Ham Deviled Egg recipe by Ford Fry and photo by Wendell T. Webber / Buffalo Chicken Deviled Egg recipe and photo by Baked By Rachel ]