After Mass on Christmas Eve, we often spend our evening snacking through the night and watching It's a Wonderful Life. So, when I was asked to present a program at the Rio Community Library this holiday season for patrons it was an automatic to create an appetizer program. My goal with the program was to try to introduce attendees to a few new appetizers that they may not have made to before. Most of these are recipes that I recreated from some that I had at restaurants and loved. I hope you enjoy them too!
Bacon Wrapped Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 lb Wells Farms bacon, each slice cut in half
- Brown Sugar - 1 tsp per cracker
- Club Crackers
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on the sheet
- Cut the bacon slices in half
- Place 1 tsp brown sugar on each cracker
- Wrap the bacon around the cracker and sugar. Secure with toothpicks
- Bake 350° for approximately 45 mins or until the bacon is completely cooked
*Note*
You could par cook the bacon first to possibly shorten the baking time.
Sweet as Honey Apple Slices
Ingredients
- 1 Tart Apple - Granny Smith or Haralson
- 1 Square Honeycomb
- 1 small block cheese - Havarti or Blue Cheese
Directions
- Cut apple into slices and lay on a serving tray
- Take honeycomb and cut into small sections (about the size of a teaspoon) and place on top of each apple slice
- Cut small teaspoon size squares or crumbles of cheese and place on top of each honeycomb
- Drizzle honey across the top of the apples
*Note*
Using local honey can add some health benefits to this tasty treat! Local bees use plants native to the local area and consuming honey from bees collecting from those plants can help combat seasonal allergies
You can use any variety of cheeses and apples that you would like!
Savory Sausage Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 lb Wells Farms breakfast sausage
- 1 box puff pastry
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 TBSP fresh parsley
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 TBSP water
- Optional: Honey mustard or marinara for dipping
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Defrost puff pastry according to package directions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside
- In a mixing bowl, combine sausage, breadcrumbs, 1 egg, thyme, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper
- On a floured surface unfold your puff pastry and gently roll out a little bit. Cut it into 3 long rectangle sections.
- Roll the sausage into small logs. Lay those logs down the center of the puff pastry rectangles.
- Bring the sides of the puff pastry together and pinch together to encase the sausage. You many need a little water to help seal the edges.
- Cut each log into approx. 2" sections
- Cut two small slits across the top of each log to create a vent
- Place each sausage roll on a baking sheet about 2" apart
- Whisk together 1 egg and 1 TBSP water. Brush each sausage rolls with the egg wash
- Bake for 20 mins until pastry is puffed and tops are golden brown
*Note*
Serve warm. Can be served with or without a dipping sauce. Dipping sauce suggestions - honey mustard or marinara. This recipe is adapted from www.tornadoughalli.com
Whipped Ricotta Crostini
Ingredients
- 1 fresh French baguette - cut into approx. 1/2 inch slices
- 3-4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup roasted pistachios - chopped
- 4 TBSP Spicy Honey (or can use regular honey)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Brush the bread slices with olive oil on both sides and arrange on a baking sheet.
- Bake 5-7 mins until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
- Add ricotta to food processor and blend until creamy - approximately 30 sec - 1 min
- Remove ricotta to a ziplock bag. secure top and cut a corner off the bottom to resemble a piping bag.
- Pipe the whipped ricotta onto the crostini bread.
- Top the whipped ricotta with the roasted pistachios
- Drizzle spicy (or regular) honey over the top and serve
*Note*
This recipe is adapted from www.hellofrozenbananas.com