Wow! Who knew?! OG Debbie Matenopoulos shares the remarkable story of how she landed “The View” and shows Sherri simple, delicious party snack recipes from her cookbook “Greekish”!
To pre-order Debbie’s cookbook: https://found.us/products/67a2440bdd2018da03cad650?code=iamdebbiem
Recipes:
Famous Party Nachos
Serves 6 to 8
My family and friends are always DM’ing me about my nachos, so here’s the recipe! The trick is to toast the chips before assembling the nachos, which keeps them crisp. This a recipe you can make your own—experiment and use the toppings you like best!
For the nachos:
1 large (14.75 ounce) bag restaurant-style salted tortilla chips
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced (about 1 cup)
1 pound lean (90/10) ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (such as Simply Organic) for 1 pound of ground beef
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (if needed)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (if needed)
1 pound shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tomato, medium diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup thinly sliced pitted kalamata olives (or other black olives)
1/2 cup pickled jalapeño slices (or more if desired)
For serving, as desired:
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 Haas avocado thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small tomato, medium diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 yellow onion, medium diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup thinly sliced pitted kalamata olives (or other black olives)
1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Evenly distribute the tortilla chips on a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches). Toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the ground beef to brown and cook through, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning. Cook 1-2 minutes more until fragrant. Stir in the chicken stock, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the sauce is reduced, stirring occasionally, about 3-4 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
Distribute half the toasted tortilla chips on a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches). Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the top of the chips followed by half the ground beef mixture, half the black beans, half the tomato, half the olives, and half the jalapeños. Top the first layer with the remaining chips, another 1/3 of the cheese, remaining ground beef mixture, remaining black beans, remaining tomatoes, remaining olives, and remaining jalapeños. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately sprinkled, if desired, with the shredded lettuce, avocado, dollops of sour cream, tomato, onion, olives, jalapeño slices, and cilantro.
Puff Pastry Pigs in a Blanket
Serves 6 to 8
Throwing a party for friends should be fun and stress-free. I love serving something familiar but finding a way to make it feel more elevated than the original—especially if elevating it actually makes it easier and faster to prepare. Using puff pastry and sausages looks dramatic and chic, and it’s much quicker than rolling individual small cocktail franks in dough one-by-one. I like to use feta and spinach chicken sausage, but you can use whatever sausage you enjoy most!
2 (12 ounce) packages fully cooked feta and spinach chicken sausage
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 (18.3 ounce) package frozen all-butter puff pastry with 2 sheets, defrosted in the refrigerator overnight
3 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the sausages on one of the parchment-lined baking sheets, pierce each one a few times with a sharp knife, and bake for 9-10 minutes until browned and slightly crisp. Cool 15-20 minutes.
Stir the two mustards together in a small bowl. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut each sheet of puff pastry lengthwise into 2 equal pieces so that you have 4 strips of pastry. Brush the mustard mixture down the center of each piece of pastry. Position two sausages lengthwise (end-to-end) on top of the mustard in the center of each piece of pastry, then roll each one up, sealing each by brushing the edges with melted butter. Transfer to the second parchment-lined baking sheet, seam sides down, and trimming off some of the excess pastry on the ends, leaving about an inch. Tuck the ends underneath and lightly brush the tops with melted butter. Bake 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool 5 minutes, transfer to a cutting board, and slice on the bias into equal pieces. Serve immediately with some extra mustard for dipping.
Smashed Potatoes
Serves 6
This is my favorite and most DM’d potato recipe. The secret to the crispiest potatoes, believe it or not, is pre-boiling them before roasting. I like to top these with sour cream and chives, but they’re great topped with chili, bacon, cheese, and more. They’re also fabulous on their own!
3 pounds whole baby red potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), scrubbed clean
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more to taste (optional)
3 tablespoons very thinly sliced chives, plus more to taste (optional)
Place the potatoes into a large (8 quart) stockpot. Fill the pot with cold water, covering the potatoes by 2 inches. Set over high heat. Bring to a boil, stir in 3 tablespoons of the kosher salt, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced with a knife with no resistance, 15-20 minutes. Drain and set potatoes on paper towel to dry out for about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches). Transfer the potatoes to the sheet pan, and brush each with a little bit of olive oil. Brush a little oil onto the bottom of a thick-bottomed drinking glass or Pyrex liquid measure. Use the glass to press each potato down to split and flatten to 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle potatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme. Dot with the butter. Roast 25-30 minutes, until golden and crispy. If you like them crispier, broil for 1 minute more, watching closely so they do not burn. Cool potatoes 5-10 minutes before serving topped with sour cream and chives, if desired.
Debbie’s Note: I like to use garlic salt in place of kosher salt and garlic powder, if you can find it in your market.
Puff Pastry Spanakopita
Spinach Feta Pie
Serves 6 to 8
As I explained in my first cookbook, over the years I have mastered making an excellent spanakopita. But working with phyllo dough is a real challenge. Phyllo is a fragile diva. This version, which I also adore, is made with the same filling passed down to me from my mom but made much easier with frozen spinach and puff pastry.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided
1 bunch scallions (5 scallions), white and tender green parts, washed and thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, with most of the water squeezed out
1 pound brine-packed Greek feta, crumbled into pea-sized pieces
1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to sprinkle on top
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (18.3 ounce) package frozen all-butter puff pastry with 2 sheets, defrosted in the refrigerator overnight
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter together in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and onion, and sauté until translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach, feta, dill, 4 beaten eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Make an egg wash in a small bowl by beating the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water.
Center one sheet of puff pastry on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Keeping an approximate 1-inch border, mound the spinach mixture onto the pastry and spread it into an even layer. Brush the pastry border with melted butter. On a lightly floured surface, evenly roll the other piece of pastry out 1-2 inches larger on all sides and carefully drape it over the spinach mixture. Crimp the top and bottom edges together with a fork to seal them. Lightly brush the top with a little more melted butter. Make five evenly spaced small slits in the top of the pastry and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Transfer to the oven and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until puffed and golden. Cool 5 minutes, transfer to a cutting board, and using the slits as a guide, cut into equal pieces. Serve immediately.
