Pasta Party at Our House

(S'mores Brownies)

We recently purchased our first house and have yet to really have guests, as I feel it is not ready for visitors. We bought the house in October, basketball started in November, and we got about 1/100th of what I would like done finished. That being said, my husband likes to invite people over. We have no curtains, I have yet to put a switchplate on the light switch in the main bathroom, and we need a new driveway, if not an entire landscaping crew to fix up the front of the house, BUT my husband's basketball team will be coming over this evening for a pre-playoff game Pasta Party. I am not exactly the most thrilled I have ever been in my life, but I tried my best (which is very hard) to cook for them instead of catering the whole thing.

I made baked ziti, meatballs, S'mores brownies and a family favorite, our no muss-no fuss "taco dip." The S'mores brownies recipe I used was courtesy of Preppy in the Pantry. I just started reading her blog after I saw her mentioned on another blog I read. She and I had a few classes together in college, and I had no idea she was so talented in the kitchen. If you see this, Preppy in the Pantry, THANK YOU! Those brownies are sure to be a hit.

I loathe being in the kitchen, but tend to like the results when I do make food. The meatballs are definitely good (I may or may not have eaten two or more). Right now, the ziti is a cookin' at my parents' house (long story short, I broke the oven in our house about two days after we moved in. I was trying to clean it. The stove works, but the oven won't open and I want to wait until we completely redo the kitchen...which will be soon...

to get one).

Anyway, here's what the finished product of the "Taco Dip" looks like:

It is super simple and a hit every time I whip it up. Here's how-to:

Spread one block of Philadelphia cream cheese (I leave it out for about 10 minutes to soften) on a plate or platter.

Spread one jar of salsa (I like Tostitos Mild) on top of the cream cheese.

Shred one small block of extra sharp cheddar cheese on top of the salsa.

Cut green peppers and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces and spread over cheese. DONE!

The version you see above is without tomatoes, as my husband is not a fan.

Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy! Simple, yet perfect!

Hopefully, the food will lead to at least one playoff win in the family (see earlier post).

Go WM Patriots!