The last couple of days have been haunting to me. What happened in Connecticut and the loss of all those innocent lives saddens me to my core. I work in an elementary school, I have elementary age children and to be honest sleeping the last few nights have been next to impossible for me. Today, I woke up and decided I have to put on my smile and make this Holiday season a good one for my family. I will not let that mad gunman ruin one more family’s Holidays. With a painful reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow, I will be hugging my boys a little tighter and enjoying all these moments, big and small, for all they are worth. So in keeping with the Spirit of #SundaySupper and bringing families back to the dining table, I am sharing the post that I typed up before this tragedy at Sandy Hook, an appetizer that can shared with family and friends this Holiday season.
Last weekend for #SundaySupper we covered fun, festive Holiday Cookies. I shared my grandmother’s recipe for Ricotta Cookies. While cookies are always fun and certainly a big part of my holiday menu, the #SundaySupper team presented a super fun and tasty Appetizer and Cocktail party. From Martinis, Cosmos and Spritzers to Dips, Cheeseballs, Tarts and Pinwills, the team over at #SundaySupper has your appetizer recipes and cocktail creations covered.
I decided to adapt a recipe that a friend had given me for Voodoo Chicken Pasta. It pairs an Alfredo like sauce with tomato paste and Cajun spices. What is not to love with that? The Voodoo Sauce has actually ruined me for regular Alfredo sauces; it’s the spicy part that gets me. Oh so good. In order to change a sauce to a dip, I needed to bulk it up. Give it some substance, no longer is it for covering pasta but it needed to stand up on its own. This involved cheese…Lots of cheese.
What you will need:
- 1 16oz package soften cream cheese
- 1/2 cup half and half… maybe more to thin the dip to a desired consistency
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of Cajun Spices… I used Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
- 1 to 2 cups of shredded chicken… I bought a rotisserie chicken to save on time
- 1/4 cup Mozzerella and some extra for topping dip
- 1/4 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 Baguette for toasting to make the crostini
In a sauce pan, over a medium low heat, combine the cream cheese and tomato paste. Mix well and then add in the Cajun spices. Once that is combined, I then add in the half and half. Stir until smooth. Next add in the cheese. Once everything is incorporated the shredded chicken can be added. I like to add this mix into a baking dish or ramekin to melt extra mozzarella cheese under the broiler. There is just something extra appealing about bubbling melted cheese.
But, what is a Dip without something to dip in it? This lead me to think Crostinis. Crostini are toasted slices of bread. I used a Baguette. I sliced the bread and then toasted them in the oven on a cookie sheet. These little toasts are perfect for topping with the Voodoo Chicken Dip. They hold up to the weight of the chicken and cheese. Plus, the crunch with the creamy dip is an irresistible combination. If you prefer to spoon the dip onto each piece of crostini, you can do that too and set them out on a platter. The little toasts hold up to the sauce well. This will be a hit at any party. I tend to pair up crostini with wine. Call me old fashion lol. I make a Red Wine Sangria and have posted that recipe before, but really any cocktail to ice water is good with this appetizer.
I hope you all Enjoy 
Holiday Cocktails
- Glühwein from Magnolia Days
- Cookies-n-Cream Cocktails from The Urban Mrs
- Cranberry Fizz from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
- Rosemary Orange Punsch from Galactopdx
- Candy Cane Martini from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Raspberry Hot Chocolate from Momma’s Meals
- Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog from The Daily Dish Recipes
- Jamaican Sorrel from The Lovely Pantry
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Spoons from Chocolate Moosey
- Homemade Eggnog from Flour on my Face
- Moroccan Mint Tea from MarocMama
- Cherry Bomb from Noshing with the Nolands
- Wassail from There And Back Again
- Cranberry Sparkler Mocktail from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Pomegranate Cosmo from Supper For A Steal
- Poinsettia Mimosas from Big Bear’s Wife
- Mulled Wine: Spiked and Steamy from Daddy Knows Less
- Poinsettia Cocktails from The Catholic Foodie
- The Red Carpet Diva from Cooking Underwriter
Holiday Appetizers or Hors d’oeuvres
- Cheese Ball Wreath from The Meltaways
- Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts from My Catholic Kitchen
- Prosciutto Goat Cheese Rolls with Fig Preserves and Arugula from Shockingly Delicious
- Muenster and Spinach Pinwheels from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Drunk Moose Meatballs from The Foodie Army Wife
- Smoked Salmon Blinis with Cranberry-Spiced Feta from Chattering Kitchen
- Sticky Wholegrain Mustard & Ginger Cocktail Sausages from girlichef
- Potato Leek Soup from What Smells So Good
- Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Bread from Small Wallet Big Appetite
- 5 Quick & Easy Appetizers for Your Holiday Party from Webicurean
- Bacon Peanut Caramel Corn from Gotta Get Baked
- Crostini topped with Voodoo Chicken Cream Dip from Country Girl in the Village
- Mushroom Strudel from Vintage Kitchen
- Roxanne’s Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Queso Dip from The ROXX Box
- Herbed Holiday Party Mix from Curious Cuisiniere
- Old fashioned Swedish Meatballs from I Run For Wine
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bites from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Fried Green Beans with Wasabi Ranch from Juanita’s Cocina
- Salsa Baked Cheese from Home Cooking Memories
- Cookie Dough Dip from The Cookie-A-Day Challenge
- Parmesan Onion Rounds from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
- Lip-smacking Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs from In The Kitchen with KP
- Hot Spinach Parmesan Dip from Comfy Cuisine
- Indian Spiced Tuna Balls from Soni’s Food
- Onion marmalade with Bacon from Ruffles and Truffles
- Sweet Potato Dip from Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Festive Cucumber & Ginger Sushi Rolls from The Ninja Baker
- Baked Jalapeno Popper Ranch Dip from Weekend Gourmet
- Baked Brie from Family Foodie
- Hoisin Asisan Meatballs from Damn Delicious
In honor of the Sandy Hook victims and their families, we have cancelled our regularly scheduled #SundaySupper Chat this week. Let this be a time when we renew our faith in the power of love and realize the importance of time with our families.
Family Foodie , has linked ways to reach out and help those in Connecticut on her site. I copied these links to share here:
An official fund for victims’ families, and the community as a whole, has now been established: The Sandy Hook School Support Fund, set up by the United Way of Western Connecticut will provide support services to families and the community. All donations to this fund will go directly to those affected.
The Red Cross has also been on the ground, offering food and water to first responders, and providing more than 50 units of blood to Danbury hospital where some of the victims were transported. They have set up a center for emergency grief counseling.
You can send words of support and messages for families affected in an evergram here. They will be collated and given to the families in the future.
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Love how you put the voodoo in the chicken! Sounds fabulous!
Thanks! The spicy is so good. Kinda addicting lol
Thanks! The spicy is so good. Kinda addicting lol
I’m down with anything spicy, especially appetizers because they really start the evening off with a kick!
Looks so yummy I can’t wait to try.
Love this spicy, cheesy appetizer!
This is a nice hearty dip, yum! I can’t wait to try it.
Love Cajun spices and this is right up my alley
Love Cajun spices and this is right up my alley
Thanks everyone! It’s such a great dip I could make a meal out of this appetizer and be a happy camper.
Thanks everyone! It’s such a great dip I could make a meal out of this appetizer and be a happy camper.
Yum!!! I love that Creole seasoning…I use it all the time…such a yummy idea to put in a dip!
This sounds amazing – and ENTIRELY addictive. I’d be hanging out next to that dip until it was gone. Yum!
This looks so good!!! ~ Bea @ galactopdx
Very nice! Perfect party food
Very different!
Very well said! We can’t let one crazy person mess up our lives and our kids lives.
Love the idea of this dip, sounds wonderful!
It is so difficult, I know I too have lost a lot of sleep over this. But I agree I won’t allow the fear that gunman inflicted on us to ruin my life or my holiday. Because if I allow that fear to paralyse me then evil wins. This dip does sound amazing.
The dip is really good and to make the pasta sauce, you just omit some of the cheese and add in more cream until it is your desired consistency. The cream cheese helps it to be rich and coat the pasta really well. I think I may love the dip more though. It is the combo of sauce and bread that I love. Yum! Thank you all for the kind words. Sandy Hook is on my mind this morning as I am making breakfast for my boys and get us all ready for school.
The dip is really good and to make the pasta sauce, you just omit some of the cheese and add in more cream until it is your desired consistency. The cream cheese helps it to be rich and coat the pasta really well. I think I may love the dip more though. It is the combo of sauce and bread that I love. Yum! Thank you all for the kind words. Sandy Hook is on my mind this morning as I am making breakfast for my boys and get us all ready for school.
Bravo, Shannon, for your eloquent statement. There are no guarantees about tomorrow so best to appreciate the family and friends who are here today. And your yummy dip and crostini are a beautiful way to do just that =)
The dip looks delicious! And I LOVE the spreader!!! I love chickens
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your eloquent thoughts in this post. You’re totally right about not letting the shooter ruin the holidays for your family – we shouldn’t give him any more power over any more lives. Instead, we should focus on our loved ones and appreciate being together. As for you dish – YUM! This dip looks sooooo good. You definitely had me at “lots of cheese”
Thank you : ) lol Cheese is always good!
Thank you : ) lol Cheese is always good!
This dip sounds great-love the use of Cajun spices.