Posts Tagged ‘appetizer’

I saw this recipe a few months back on someone’s site listing a bunch of Superbowl recipes. I finally planned an appetizer night last week and made these. They are VERY rich, you can only eat maybe one or two at most. The leftovers were a hit at work and made for a good breakfast.

Crispy Bacon Cheddar Bites

Ingredients:

 
2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
1/3 heaping cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
2 cup shredded cheddar
5 strips bacon, cooked crispy and then crumbled (grease reserved)
3 tsp. bacon grease
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder

Instructions:

 
Fry bacon until crispy; reserve the grease. Drain bacon on paper-towel-lined plate. Crumble
when cool.

 
Preheat oven to 325.

 
Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat flour gradually until it is fully incorporated and
dough is stiff.

 
Beat in the cheese, bacon bits, and spices.

 
Spread the dough into a greased 9×13″ pan, using your palms to spread it into the corners and
flatten it. Bake for 40 minutes or until edges are browned and center is golden-brown. Remove
from oven and immediately cut into squares, then let cool completely before removing from
pan.

These were quick to put together. I waited a long time to make them but it turned out to be simple. If you don’t have pizza seasonings just add  a combination of basil, oregano, and thyme.

Pizza Breadsticks

Ingredients:

 
1 1/2 C hot water
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp butter, softened
4-5 C flour
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp pizza seasoning
1 Tbsp cheese powder (King Arthur Flour carries it, completely optional but tasty!)
Topping:

3 T butter melted
sea salt
1/4 t garlic powder

Directions:

Pour the water into your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar, salt, pizza seasoning, cheese powder, and softened
butter. Mix.

Pour in about 2 cups of flour, then the yeast.

Add the rest of the flour about a half cup at a time, until the dough scrapes the sides of the bowl clean.

 
Mix the dough for 5 minutes on medium speed.

Break off the dough, about a handful at a time. Roll in your hands until you make a long snake shape. You should get about 16 or so depending on how fat you make them.

Spray 2 large cookie sheets with cooking spray, and lay the breadsticks out leaving about 2 inches
between each one.

 
Place the pans in your oven with the temperature turned to 170. Let them rise for about 15 minutes, or
until doubled in size.

 
Once the breadsticks have risen, remove them from the oven. Sprinkle them with the sea salt.

 
Return them to the oven and turn the heat to 400 degrees. Your dough will rise a bit more as the oven
temperature increases. Once it has hit 400 degrees the breadsticks should cook for about 12 -15
minutes, or until golden brown. Halfway thought the baking period open up your oven and switch the
bottom pan to the top, and the top to the bottom. This will ensure they cook evenly.

 
Melt the butter and mix garlic powder with it.

 
When the breadsticks are golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush them with the melted
butter/garlic mixture.

Here is my version of the fritters from Heavenly Homemakers. It needed more spice though, next time I’ll add some cayenne and more cumin.

Taco Corn Fritters

Ingredients:

 
½ pound ground beef
½ Tbsp garlic powder
½ Tbsp onion powder
½ Tbsp cumin
½ Tbsp paprika
2 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups frozen or canned corn
oil for frying

 
Directions:

 
Brown hamburger meat. Add in garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and paprika. Mix well. In
separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients, then stir in the seasoned meat. Heat oil
in skillet. Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of corn mixture into the hot oil and press down to flatten. Fry
for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through. Serve warm.

I didn’t roll the dough out enough so the cups came out a bit thick. They were still good, next time I’ll know better. This is another recipe you can add just about whatever you’d like. Different cheeses, condiments, seasonings…the possibilites are endless. This was a new addition to our appetizer night. We just love all sitting together and munching from the big platter. It lasts us several days.

Bacon Cheeseburger Biscuit Cups

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 – 1 cups milk
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs ketchup
2 tsp mustard
1/2 lb. bacon; diced and cooked; divided
Extra shredded cheese, for garnish

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in milk,
adding just enough for the dough to come together. Knead by hand for one minute.

Divide the dough into 12 evenly-sized balls. Flatten the dough balls into a circle with your hands
or with a rolling pin. Press into muffin tins and poke the bottoms of each one several times with
a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef in a large skillet. Season with salt. Drain.

Stir milk into ground beef in the pan and add shredded cheese. Continue cooking over low heat
until cheese is melted and smooth. Stir in ketchup, mustard and relish.

Set aside some bacon to garnish the cups; stir the remaining into the beef and cheese sauce.

Spoon cheeseburger mixture into the biscuit cups. Garnish with bacon and additional shredded
cheese, if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes, until biscuit cups are golden brown

I served these tonight along with bacon cream cheese and chive crescents with our fun appetizer night. Taquitos are a blank canvas. You can add any cheese, meat, veggie…whatever you’d like. I think this would be great to use up leftover chicken with for a family Mexican night.

Easy Cheese Taquitos

Ingredients:

12 corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese (whatever you have on hand)
salsa for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lay tortillas on two baking sheets in a single layer. Depending on your size of baking sheet, you
may need to use 3 sheets.

Sprinkle cheese on tortillas.

Bake for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is starting to melt and tortillas are softened.

Remove from oven and carefully roll each tortilla up. These are hot so be careful.

Return to oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until crisp.

These were a huge hit. I served them with homemade fries and my son and I dipped them in spicy Bonton sauce.

Parmesan Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size cubes
1 egg
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika and cayenne pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a medium bowl, mix together Panko, Parmesan, and seasonings; set aside. Beat egg and put it in a bowl.

Dip chicken into egg and then coat with Panko mixture. Place on baking sheet in a single
layer. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

These are easy and quick to make. My 3 year old loves to help roll them in the cinnamon sugar after they cool a bit from the oven. The nutmeg and cinnamon measurements are just guidelines, I just shake it in. The more cinnamon the better!

Mini Doughnut Hole Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon for rolling muffins in

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 24 mini-muffin cups.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 melted butter, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then mix in
the baking powder and flour until just combined. Fill the prepared mini muffin cups about half
full.

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are lightly golden, 15-20 minutes.

Roll in cinnamon sugar.

I needed to bring things easy to carry and easy to reheat for our department gift exchange/food fest. Along with other things  I brought along these. They were so good I was eating them straight out of the oven. They reheated just fine and kept their crispness even after reheating. I found this on Kraft’s website.

Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents

Ingredients:

This was a lot of work to put together, but it was worth it. Appetizer night was fun and I’ll do it again. I brought the platter out on our coffee table and my hubby and 2 1/2 year old dug in. They especially liked the pizza puffs. I forgot to make the taquitos. Next time I’ll throw those in.

Appetizer Night

Baked Zucchini Strips

Deviled Eggs

Potato Skins

Pizza Twists

Peperoni Pizza Puffs

Outback Ranch Dressing (Copycat)

Cheese Sauce

These were nice and simple. It didn’t fill out my entire 24 mini muffin pan though. Next time I’ll try it with bacon!

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Ingredients

¾ cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil (you can substitute dried – 1 teaspoon)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small pieces or use the mini pepperoni (about 1 cup)
Pizza sauce for dipping.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan. In a large bowl whisk together the
flour and baking powder, whisk in the milk and eggs. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni. Let
stand for 10 minutes.

Stir batter and divide among the mini muffin cups. Fill almost to the top. Bake until puffed and
golden, about 20 – 25 minutes.