Hello beautiful peeps! Who’s ready for some happy summertime eats???!!!
I recently threw my sweet husband a 60th Birthday Party at home…Louisiana Style! Steven and a couple of his best friends from New Orleans boiled more Louisiana shrimp and crawfish than you could “shake a stick at,” but I also included some additional party menu items for guests to enjoy. I had so many requests for the Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip and Orzo Salad recipes that I decided to share them here on my blog! Disclaimer: I will do my best to replicate the Orzo Salad for you. Not only did I not get a picture of it (it’s a really pretty salad, btw), I didn’t really follow a proper recipe for it. I just sort of “made it up”. But that’s the beauty of the Orzo Salad…you get to improv it depending on what’s fresh at the market or what’s in your frig! The Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip? Absolute no-brainer party dip for any time of the year!
Party Menu
Boiled Shrimp and Crawfish w/Conecuh Sausage, Potatoes, Corn and Mushroom
Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip w/ assorted crackers
Orzo Salad
Watermelon Salad and Cucumber Salad
Tomato Tarts
Marinated Cheese and Vegetables
Remoulade Crema
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Red Beans and Rice
Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip
- 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
- 2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 c. mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 c. finely chipped onion (about 3 medium onions)
Instructions:
- Soften cream cheese. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
- Place mixture in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned on top; about 50 minutes
- Serve hot with corn chips and assorted crackers. This dip is delicious even after it cools to room temp!
Sabrina’s Orzo Salad
- 1 (16 oz) package orzo
- 1/2 red pepper; finely chopped
- 1/2 yellow pepper; finely chopped
- 1/2 green pepper; finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery; chopped
- 1 vidalia onion; finely chopped
- 4 oz sun dried tomatoes; drained and chopped
- 1 small pkg. grape tomatoes; halved
- 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen edamame; thawed
- 1/2 cup fresh basil; chopped
- 3/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette:
- 6 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup olive oil
Directions:
- Prepare all vegetables except basil and place in a deep bowl. Set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.
- Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Drizzle HALF of the vinaigrette over the vegetables, and toss to coat. (Save the remaining vinaigrette for the orzo pasta.) Cover and chill at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours, tossing occasionally.
- Prepare orzo as directed by packaging. (Pasta should not be al dente for this salad. Once drained, pour into a serving bowl and add about half of the remaining vinaigrette; tossing gently. Chill until ready to assemble.
- To assemble, combine chilled and marinated vegetables and orzo into one large bowl; toss with basil and parmesan cheese and taste. If your salad needs a bit more vinaigrette or salt, add it here. May be served chilled or room temperature.
This bright salad is full of flavor and can be interpreted with blanched green beans or asparagus in place of the peppers; chickpeas instead of edamame! Enjoy and happy SUMMER!
A big thank you to Karen Russell, Victoria Iacono and Julie Pflug for contributing some of the photos in this blog! xo
Peach and the Willow 