Glazed Pigs in a Blanket

With the endless amounts of parties and hosting duties you need easy appetizers you can just pull out in a moments notice. These are tasty little finger foods and easy to prep ahead of time and packed with flavor.

Glazed Pigs in a Blanket

(Adapted from Plain Chicken)

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1 (8-count) tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (4-count) tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (14-oz) package Lit'l Smokies
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Unroll both cans of crescent rolls; separate into 12 triangles. Spread a heaping teaspoon of Dijon mustard on each triangle.  Cut each triangle lengthwise into 3 narrow triangles.

Place sausage on wide side of each triangle. Roll up and place in prepared pan.

In a small saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and poppy seeds.

 

Bring to a boil and pour over pigs in a blanket.

Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Buffalo Wing Appetizer

It’s Fall, it’s football season and it’s just a great time for block parties. Don’t stress over making insanely complicated dishes. These little Buffalo wing appetizers  allow you to make as much or as little as you need. I used premade chicken bites and tossed with buffalo wing sauce. Slip that on a toothpick with celery and some blue cheese and you’re set! If you wanna make it even easier just leave it in 3 separate bowls for a diy assembly.

Caramelized Onion Dip

I love when we visit with my parents we get to try all sorts of new recipes together that we have had our eye on. This tasted like it was missing something and we couldn’t figure out what. A dash of Worchestshire sauce helped, but it needed something else.

Caramelized Onion Dip

(Adapted from unknown source)

 

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1 tablespoon olive oil

6 slices bacon, uncooked and chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced chives

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

15 ounces sour cream

Chip or veggies for serving

 

Cook chopped bacon in oil until crispy about 6-8 minutes. Remove and drain. Add chopped onions and cook until caramelized for about 10 minutes, fully browned and translucent. Remove onion, drain and cool. Stir together sour cream, bacon, onion, chives, cheese, salt and pepper. Allow to sit in fridge at least 1 hour to chill and let flavors blend. Serve with chips or veggies.

Sweet Potato and Feta Tart

I think this is my new favorite tart! It’s great for the holidays, brunch or as an appetizer with friends. Try not to get overwhelmed with the long instructions it’s really easy if you break it up into steps make the crust one day as well as caramelizing the sweet potatoes. I had extra leftover sweet potatoes so I added them into a salad and it really jazzed it up. Pasta is another easy thing you could throw them into as well.

Basic Short-Crust Pastry

(Adapted from NY Times)

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145  grams all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
½  teaspoon kosher salt
1  stick cold unsalted butter (1/4 pound), cut in 1/8-inch pieces
3  tablespoons ice water

Put flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor.

Add butter and quickly cut it into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add ice water and mix briefly, about 30 seconds, to form a soft dough.

Remove dough, shape into a thick disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring to cool room temperature before rolling.

To roll, lightly flour dough and counter. Roll out gradually, periodically letting dough rest for a moment before continuing. This makes rolling easier and will keep dough from shrinking back during baking.

Roll dough to a thin round approximately 13 inches in diameter, then trim to make a 12-inch circle (refrigerate and save trimmings for patching). Lay dough loosely into a 9 1/2-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, letting it relax a bit. Fold overlap back inside to make a double thickness, then press firmly against the pan so the finished edge is slightly higher than the pan.

Refrigerate or freeze for an hour before pre-baking.

Sweet Potato and Feta Tart

(Adapted from The Cook’s Pyjamas)

 

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500 g (3 1/2 cups) sweet potato peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 - 3 Tablespoons rosemary leaves 2 - 3 large sprigs
Salt & pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan forced).

Place the sweet potato in a large bowl and set aside.

Roughly chop the garlic and then the rosemary.

Mix the rosemary and garlic together on the chopping board, then continue mincing the herbs and garlic until they are both finely chopped.

Scatter the rosemary mixture over the sweet potato.

Drizzle over the olive oil, and season with salt & pepper.

Toss everything together until the sweet potato cubes are well covered with oil.

Spread evenly on a baking tray, and bake for 30 minutes or until the sweet potato is starting to brown and is just cooked.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the tart
1 batch Kamut & Spelt Pastry or pre-purchased short crust pastry
2 Tablespoons Caramelized Onions
500 g (3 1/2 cups) roasted sweet potato
125 g (2/3 cup) feta cheese crumbled
125 ml (1/2 cup) whipping cream
125 ml (1/2 cup) full fat milk
1 egg
1 egg yolk extra
Salt & pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan forced)

Roll out the pastry to fit your tart tin.

Gently line the tin with the pastry.

Place a piece of baking paper over the pastry and fill the tin with dried rice or beans, or pastry weights if you have them.*

Bake the tart for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the tart turn a light, golden color.

Remove the weights and the baking paper.

Reduce the oven to 180C (160C fan forced).

Continue to bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the base of the tart has set and lightly brown.

Remove the tart shell from the oven.

To make the custard
Whisk the cream, milk, egg, egg yolk, and salt & pepper together in a jug.
Set aside.

To assemble & bake the tart
Set the oven to 190C (170C fan forced).

Place the tart shell on a baking tray.

Spread the caramelized onions in a thin layer over the base of the tart shell.

Evenly distribute the sweet potato over the caramelized onions.

Scatter the feta cheese over the sweet potato, allowing it to fall into the gaps between the sweet potato.

Gently fill the tart shell 2/3 full of custard.

Place the tart in the oven (still on the baking tray) and fill the tart shell with the remaining custard.

Bake the tart for 10 minutes.

Crock pot grape jelly and BBQ meatballs

With Super Bowl coming up this weekend, here’s a quick and easy recipe that’s no fuss when it comes to entertaining. I honestly thought this sounded awful when I first heard about it, but trust me it’s addicting and sooooo easy! My friend Melissa made this for a party once and I’ve been serving it at my gatherings too ever since.

Crock pot grape jelly and BBQ meatballs

(Adapted from Melissa)

 

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1 (32-ounce) bag frozen fully cooked meatballs (about 50)
1 (18-ounce) jar grape jelly
1 (18-ounce) BBQ sauce

Combine the grape jelly and BBQ sauce in a small bowl or in the base of your slow cooker. Add meatballs and stir until they are coated with the sauce. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.

Enjoy as an appetizer or serve over rice for a main dish.

Eddie V’s Crispy Cashew Calamari

We LOVE Eddie V’s, and one thing we always get as an appetizer is the calamari. I found a news article where they posted the recipe and I knew I had to try it!! It comes out really good and the sauce is beyond amazing. It almost makes too much sauce so cutting in half would work better. I just frozen half of it so I’ll have it ready next time.

Eddie V’s Crispy Cashew Calamari

(Adapted from Eddie V’s)

 

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1 lb ¼ inch sliced calamari

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup seasoned flour (salt and pepper)

 

Mix the buttermilk with the calamari and let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge

 

Vegetable mixture

¼ cup julienne carrots

¼ cup sliced green onions

2 chili peppers

¼ cup mung bean sprouts

¼ cup cashews

 

Kung Pao sauce

1 qrt-fish stock

½ cup dry sherry

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup sugar

½ cup sliced ginger

1 cup rice vinegar

½ cup sesame oil

½ cup sriracha sauce

1 tbl salt

½ cup cornstarch

Bring all ingredients to a boil, simmer 5 minutes.

Thicken with cornstarch.

Strain through fine mesh strainer.

 

Heat canola oil in pot to 350 degrees.

Toss the calamari with the seasoned cornstarch and place in the fryer until golden brown.

Heat sauté pan up with 2 tbl of canola oil and gently sauté the vegetables (keep them crisp)

Toss the calamari and vegetables together and split between two plates, pour a ladle full of sauce over each plate or as desired.

Cheesy Phyllo Cups with Butternut Squash

If you are looking for the perfect appetizer this holiday season, I highly recommend this one! I tested it out on my playgroup moms and they were gobbled up! They tasted great hot, but honestly at room temp they are amazing. I ended up having a little butternut squash leftover and used it in  a salad.

Cheesy Phyllo Cups with Butternut Squash

(Adapted from Food Network)

 

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2 cups diced peeled butternut squash (about 1/2 small squash)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
30 frozen mini phyllo shells
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded smoked cheddar cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees F. Toss the squash with the melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; spread in a single layer on the hot baking sheet. Roast until just tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the shallot and roast until softened, about 5 minutes. Let the squash cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, place the phyllo shells on another baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. Mix the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a medium bowl.

Fill each phyllo shell with a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture.

Top with a few cubes roasted squash and sprinkle with the smoked cheddar and thyme.

Return to the oven and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.