Bonus day: Dinner, Dips, and a Gourmet Dessert
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Happy Halloween! While I don’t typically post on Sundays, today is a special bonus day dedicated to a family feast featuring dinner, dips, and a gourmet dessert. I’m excited to share not one, but four recipes from a recent family get-together, sponsored by Unilever. Three of these recipes come directly from the fantastic cookbook they provided.
First up is a nostalgic favorite: Mini English Muffin Pizzas. This simple, fun recipe brings back fond childhood memories. My mom often made these for a quick, satisfying dinner, and the best part was that everyone could get creative and customize their own. It was a delicious way to get the whole family involved in preparing a meal.
For our pizzas, we had a fantastic assortment of toppings. I found some adorable mini pepperonis at the grocery store that were just the right size. We also used pre-diced ham, along with strips of salami, sliced olives, mushrooms, pineapple tidbits, and finely chopped green peppers and onions. The variety made it easy for everyone to build their perfect personal pizza.
Next on our menu were two incredibly simple yet delicious dips, both requiring only two ingredients each.
The first was a delightful peanut butter dip from the cookbook, a sweet and creamy treat perfect for dipping fruit. We served it with slices of banana, strawberries, and crisp Honeycrisp apples. If you’ve never tried a Honeycrisp apple, you’re missing out; their sweet, juicy flavor is the perfect complement to the rich dip. I also think this dip would be an amazing addition to a layered parfait, providing a boost of flavor and texture.
We also served a classic onion dip, another recipe that brings back fond childhood memories. My mom always made this “chip dip” using a packet of dry onion soup mix combined with sour cream. It’s a staple in our family and a surefire hit at any get-together.
The Gourmet Dessert
To cap off our family feast, I decided to get creative and develop my own recipe, using a mayonnaise-based cupcake recipe from the Unilever cookbook as my foundation. I transformed it into a decadent dessert I call Gourmet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes. The secret surprise? A mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup baked right into the center of each cupcake.
Once the cupcakes were cooled, they were ready for a very generous topping of peanut butter frosting. While you could easily use half or three-quarters of the frosting recipe, I was going for a “gourmet” look, so a substantial, piping of frosting was a must. I used a French tip from my cupcake Bake It Pretty icing kit, which created beautiful, rippled edges that perfectly mimicked the signature ridges on a Reese’s cup. To complete the masterpiece, I topped each one with half of a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
This cupcake concept is a great way to use up any extra candy you might have after Halloween. You can apply the same basic idea to any bite-sized candy; if you don’t have mini versions, simply chop a regular candy bar into small pieces and add them to the center of your cupcakes before baking.
Mini English Muffin Pizzas
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 English muffins halved and toasted
- 14 oz jar Ragu® Pizza Quick Sauce or 1 1/2 cups Ragu pasta sauce (I used pasta sauce)
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese about 6 oz.
- pizza toppings I used peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, ham, pepperoni, and salami
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- On baking sheet, arrange English muffin halves. Evenly spread sauce on each half, then evenly top with cheese and desired pizza toppings. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Peanut Butter Fruit Dip
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and yogurt together.
- Serve with sliced apples, bananas, graham crackers, celery, pretzels, etc. Refrigerate any unused dip for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
The Famous Lipton California Dip
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
- 16 oz sour cream regular or light
Instructions
- In medium bowl, blend all ingredients; chill at least 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers. ( I love to serve it with potato chips)
Nutrition
Gourmet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 18 oz box chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 12 oz bag Reese's miniature peanut butter cups unwrapped
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp milk or more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners; set aside.
- Beat cake mix, Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, water and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping sides occasionally, 2 minutes.Scoop or spoon into prepared muffin cups.
- Place one Reese’s peanut butter cup into the center of each cupcake. Press the peanut butter cup into the batter so 2/3 of the peanut butter cup is covered with batter. The peanut butter cup will sink further in the cupcakes as it cooks.
- Bake 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans and cool completely.
- Place the peanut butter and butter into a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until well blended
- Add half the sugar and half the milk to the butter mixture. Mix until blended.
- Add the remaining sugar and milk. Mix until blended and the beat with mixer for 3 minutes until nice and fluffy. Add more milk if needed to received desired consistency.
- Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Cut remaining peanut butter cups in half. Place 1 half on top of each cupcakes.
