Guacamole Egg Rolls with Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce

Guacamole Egg Rolls with Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce

The Super Bowl is this weekend y'all!! Aren't y'all excited because we sure are :) This is one of my favorite holidays... well, maybe celebration. I just love love love to make a bunch of different dips, snacks, and appetizers for me and my friends to munch on while we play beer pong and yell at the T.V. I have made it no secret about my obsession for guacamole. Just last week I made the best guacamole I ever made... that was spiked with tequila (um yum). So, we happened to be cravin' another batch of it this last weekend. There was a little bit left over and I thought to myself, why not shove it into some egg roll wrappers and fry those babies up? I mean, it practically tastes like a crispy tortilla chip with some cool guacamole on top. We dipped them in some homemade cilantro ranch and it was the perfect combination. Now all you need along side it is some margarita's or my new favorite drink, the Paloma. I know we will be frying up some of these Mexican egg rolls this weekend. What will y'all be makin'? Enjoy :)

For the Homemade Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce:

1C Buttermilk, Well-Shaken

½C Mayo

¼C Sour Cream

1t Lime Juice + Lime Zest

2T Buttermilk Powder

½t Ground Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, & White Pepper

¼t Paprika

2T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

1t Fresh Dill & Fresh Chives, Minced

1 Small Garlic Clove, Minced into a Paste

1T Candied Jalapenos, Minced

Salt, Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, & Sugar, To Taste

For the Guacamole Egg Rolls:

Homemade Chunky Guacamole (make it so there are big chunks of avocado)

Store Bought Egg Roll Wrappers

Water, For Brushing the Edges

½C Cornstarch

Canola Oil, For Frying

Prepared Cilantro Ranch, For Dipping

Directions:

1. For the Homemade Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce: In a medium bowl, stir together the buttermilk, mayo, sour cream, and buttermilk powder until smooth. Add in the other ingredients until it is completely incorporated, adjusting for taste with the salt, pepper, and sugar. Once you have reached your desired ranch dressing, refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. For the Guacamole Egg Rolls: Lay out the wonton wrappers in a diamond facing you. With your finger brush the edges on the wrapper to make them seal. Put about 3 spoonfuls of guacamole in the middle of the wrapper. Fold over the south corner of the egg roll over the filling. Next, tuck in the edges and then continue to roll over until it is a tight roll. Seal the last corner with some water again. Put some cornstarch on a plate and roll the egg rolls in the cornstarch, then lightly dust off excess coating.

3. Frying the Egg Rolls: Heat your canola oil to 350 degrees in your deep fryer. Once the oil has heated, place the egg rolls seal down into the fryer and cook for roughly 3-5 minutes or until they are crunchy and golden brown.

4. For Serving: Cut the egg rolls in half and serve with the dipping sauce.

Crispy Spinach-Artichoke Dip Cheese Sticks

Crispy Spinach-Artichoke Dip Cheese Sticks

A duo of cheese sticks? Sign me up. I already went into my whole secret technique to awesome cheese sticks in the previous post. So, I'll spare you the repetition. But these are certainly just as special. Spinach-Artichoke Dip is my all-time favorite dip. Especially my favorite recipe, Crazy-Good Spinach-Artichoke Dip. You can use this recipe or one of your own, or you could just be lazy and grab a batch of store-bought dip. Do whatever floats your boat. However, the most important steps are that you completely freeze the dip and keep them chilled throughout the process because it can be messy to work with if it starts to melt. The egg roll wrappers are crucial for keeping these together. They really seal in all the cheesy goodness. And also, what's better than hand-held, pop-in-your-mouth spinach-artichoke dip? Perfect for football party y'all... I guarantee it!! Enjoy :)

I mean, how crispy do those look? The perfect breading!

For the Spinach-Artichoke Cheese Sticks:

Your Favorite Spinach Artichoke Dip (I used my Crazy-Good Spinach-Artichoke Dip Recipe)

Egg Roll Wrappers

For the Crispy Italian Breading:

2C AP Flour

Salt & Pepper

3 Eggs

½C Buttermilk

1T Hot Sauce

Italian Style Panko Breadcrumbs (or regular Panko can be substituted)

Salt, For Sprinkling

Canola Oil, For Frying

Directions:

1. Preparing the Spinach-Artichoke Dip Sticks: Make your favorite recipe for Spinach-Artichoke Dip (or you can use store-bought). If you do make it homemade, make sure to refrigerate completely until chilled and set in texture. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil and spray with Pam. After the dip has chilled, spoon it into the prepared loaf pan in an even, thick layer and freeze. Once the dip is completely frozen, remove the block of dip from the tin foil and cut into mozzarella stick-sized sticks. Keep them frozen as you bread them.   

2. Assembling the Pizza Sticks: On top of an egg roll wrapper, place one frozen spinach-artichoke stick and fold over the corners the sticks and keep rolling until it is tightly wrapped. Moisten the corners with water to seal. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and spinach-artichoke sticks. Freeze until you are ready to bread. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour, salt, and pepper. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and hot sauce. For the third station, pour the contents of one box of Italian Style Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the wrapped sticks into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded sticks on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the freezer and keep chilled until all of them have been breaded.

3. Frying the Pizza Sticks: Heat your deep fryer to 350 degrees with the oil. Once the oil has heated, pull the sticks out of the refrigerator. Fry the slices for 5-8 minutes each or until golden brown and crispy on the outside, but making sure the dip has melted on the inside. Once they are done frying return them to the same baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt immediately.

4. Keep immediately while hot.

Fried Pizza Sticks with Mozzarella & Pepperoni and a San Marzano Marinara Dipping Sauce

Fried Pizza Sticks with Mozzarella & Pepperoni and a San Marzano Marinara Dipping Sauce

Fried Pizza... sounds like something that would be featured at the state fair. But hey, it's officially tailgatin' season, which means it's required that you fry something on Saturday. I love mozzarella sticks, especially when they are homemade. I hate going to restaurants and you get those pre-frozen logs of crap  with barely any breading on it... and then worse, it's soggy. That's why you make them at home. And you can add pepperoni to them and it's soooo much better. What's the secret to good mozzarella sticks, you ask? Egg roll wrappers and Panko breadcrumbs. I know, you think I'm crazy. Why would I ever use egg roll wrappers? Because they hold in all the cheese, so none of the good stuff seeps out. And don't worry, you won't even know they are there. They are so thin that it just blends in with the breading. We served ours with a homemade marinara sauce with San Marzano tomatoes. These Fried Pizza Sticks are unbelievable, so crispy... gooey... chewy... everything. I'm also going to post my recipe for Spinach-Artichoke Cheese Sticks in a few minutes, so look out for those. They are just as good!! Enjoy :)

Such a crispy breading :) 

See the pepperoni peaking out above the cheese? Amazing.

Gorgeous San Marzano Marinara Sauce For Dipping

For the Pizza Sticks:

Individual Mozzarella String Cheese Sticks

4 Slices of Pepperoni per Cheese Stick

Egg Roll Wrappers

For the Crispy Italian Breading:

2C AP Flour

Salt & Pepper

3 Eggs

½C Buttermilk

2T Pesto

Italian Style Panko Breadcrumbs

Salt, For Sprinkling

Canola Oil, For Frying

For the San Marzano Marinara Sauce:

28oz San Marzano Tomatoes, Whole & Peeled

1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped

2 Garlic Cloves

4T Unsalted Butter

2t Sugar

1 Handful of Fresh Basil, Roughly Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the San Marzano Marinara Sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add in the onions. Cook over medium heat until caramelized & soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and gently crush the tomatoes. Cover the pot and bring the sauce to a boil for 3-5 minutes, add in the fresh basil, and reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper to taste. Set the sauce aside, or keep warm, until ready to serve with the pizza sticks.   

2. Assembling the Pizza Sticks: On top of an egg roll wrapper, place four pieces of pepperoni diagonally across. Place a piece of mozzarella string cheese on top. Fold over the corners over the cheese. Fold the bottom corner over the cheese and pepperoni and keep rolling until it is tightly wrapped. Moisten the corners with water to seal. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers, mozzarella, and pepperoni. Refrigerate until you are ready to bread. Next, you have to set up a battering station. I use 3 pie tins. For the first station, I mix the flour, salt, and pepper. For the second station, I whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and pesto. For the third station, pour the contents of one box of Italian Style Panko breadcrumbs. Now, place the wrapped cheese sticks into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Put the breaded sticks on a tin foil-lined baking sheet with a cooling rack on top, and then put the pan into the refrigerator and let the chill until all of them have been breaded.   
3. Frying the Pizza Sticks: Heat your deep fryer to 350 degrees with the oil. Once the oil has heated, pull the sticks out of the refrigerator. Fry the slices for 5-7 minutes each or until golden brown and crispy on the outside, but making sure the cheese has melted on the inside. Once they are done frying return them to the same baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt immediately.
4. Keep warm until you are ready to eat. Serve with the warm San Marzano Marinara Sauce.