When it comes to throwing a party or just having friends over, you can’t afford to mess around with food or drinks. So let’s not waste any time. What follows are recipes by two people who are experts at entertaining. If you are invited to either of their houses, you can be assured you will have a good time and be served some great grub. I should get the disclaimer out of the way right now: I am related to both of them. But neither of them paid me to say this. They just shared their recipes.

Gayle Riley Throws a Party

I always rave about my Aunt Gayle’s bread. But as long as I have been having people to my house for a party, there is one go-to recipe up my sleeve: my Aunt Gayle’s hot shrimp dip recipe.  As far back as I can remember, this recipe was always there for a holiday party. The recipe card I have is stained with hot sauce, so you know it’s a good one. So after 20+ years of me making this, I find out it’s not really my aunt’s recipe. It’s really my second grade teacher’s, Mrs. Eleby, recipe. Mrs Eleby must have been a great cook as my mom has 5 or 6 recipe cards with her name on them as well. You never know what you find out when you go digging around. Well Mrs. Shirley Eleby has been making all of our parties great with her recipe for 30 something years.

Now make this for your next party, and it will be a hit. And if you are ever in East Texas on a weekend of Livingston Trade Days or Nacogdoches Trade Days, let me know and I’ll tell you how to find my Aunt Gayle. You can buy her bread, and sit and chat for a while. I’m pretty sure she has a few more party recipes up her sleeve.

Hot Shrimp Dip

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine

1 8 oz package cream cheese

4-6 oz cooked tiny shrimp (if you are in a hurry you can use canned shrimp but fresh is best)

3 green onions chopped

garlic salt

Worcestershire sauce

hot sauce of your choice

1. In a crock pot, melt the stick of margarine and cream cheese. Stir often.

2. Add the shrimp and green onions.

3. Add garlic salt, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce to taste.

4. Stir well.

5. Serve with chips. Ruffles potato chips are the chips of choice at this party.

Teal Masson Throws a Party

Teal is my sister. If you have ever stayed at my house and had breakfast pizza, you can thank her. She always pulls together these crazy but simple recipes. And she always has a story about where she got the recipe. She will also tell you exactly how you should serve it. Here are two of her recipes that are party tested and approved.

Hot Chicken Dip

(Teal’s note: If you serve this at a party, it’s heavy enough to be like a meal and you won’t need much else)

Ingredients:

20 oz cooked chicken–shredded from a rotisserie chicken

10 1/2 oz cream of chicken soup

4 oz hot pepper jack cheese

8 oz sour cream

small can diced green chiles

3/4 cup Velveeta cheese cubed

8 oz cream cheese cubed

1 small onion diced

14 oz can diced jalapenos

1. Put all ingredients into a crock pot on low heat.

2. Stir occasionally until all ingredients blended and cheese melted.

3. Serve with chips.

Teal’s Sangria

Ingredients:

2 tsp lime peel shredded

1 cup lime juice

3/4 cup sugar

ice

1 bottle pinot noir

1 nectarine. Teal recommends a large peach, pitted and sliced

1. In a quart jar, combine lime peel, lime juice and sugar.

2. Add 4 cups of water and stir to dissolve sugar.

3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

4. Pour in wine with ice and peach slices.

5. Let this sit 30 min.

6. Serve.