Recipes

Maple Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Maple Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Couverts16 appetizers
Total time 30 minutes
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set oven control to broil.
  • Line broiler pan and broiler pan rack with foil; cut slits in foil on rack.
  • Snap off tough bottom ends of asparagus.
  • In pie plate, mix brown sugar, sage and pepper.
  • Dip bacon strips into mixture, turning to coat both sides.
  • Wrap bacon slice around each asparagus spear.
  • Place asparagus on broiler pan with tips toward center.
  • Broil with tops 6 inches from heat 13 to 15 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning and brushing with syrup halfway through baking.

Notes & Wine Advice

*

Use the same amount of spears as slices of bacon. Depending on which brand you purchase, you will have 14 to 16 slices per pound of bacon.

Kitchen Secrets

If you like, try smoked bacon (such as applewood or mesquite) or, for a little extra heat, peppered bacon.
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Course; Appetizer / Pork / Vegetables
Cuisine; American

Meatballs in Tomato Chutney

Meatballs in Tomato Chutney

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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Spray 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  • In slow cooker, stir together tomatoes, 1½ cups of the onions, the chile, raisins, tomato sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, curry powder and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
  • Cook uncovered on High heat setting 3 hours or until thickened.
  • Meanwhile, heat oven to 400°F.
  • Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray.
  • In large bowl, mix sausage, beef, ¼ cup parsley, the egg, remaining ½ cup onion and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
  • Shape mixture into 36 (1-inch) balls.
  • Arrange in single layer in pan.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink in center.
  • Add meatballs to slow cooker.
  • Reduce heat setting to Low.
  • Cover; cook 1 hour.
  • Sprinkle with additional parsley.

Notes & Wine Advice

Make-Ahead Magic

You can make the sauce and meatballs up to 2 days ahead of time. Spoon cooled sauce and meatballs into large microwavable bowls; stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate. The day of serving, microwave bowls on High 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Transfer hot meatballs and sauce to slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 1 hour.
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Course; Appetizer / Pork
Cuisine; American

Crab Bites

Crab Bites

Couverts45 appetizers
Total time 40 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Line cookie sheet with foil or cooking parchment paper.
  • Place fillo shells on cookie sheet.
  • In large bowl, mix remaining ingredients until well blended.
  • Spoon about 1 tablespoon crab mixture into each fillo shell.
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
  • Serve warm.

Notes & Wine Advice

*

Refrigerated pasteurized or imitation crabmeat can be substituted for the canned crabmeat.

Make-Ahead Magic

Save yourself some time on hectic days by making the crab filling up to 24 hours in advance. Then just fill the shells and bake right before serving. You may need to bake them a minute or two longer.

Festive Touch

Garnish each crab bite with a cherry tomato half to add color.
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Course; Appetizer / Fish

Cheesy Broccoli Puffs with Sriracha Mayonnaise

Cheesy Broccoli Puffs with Sriracha Mayonnaise

Total time 45 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Generously grease 24 mini muffin cups with shortening or cooking spray.
  • Cook broccoli & cheese sauce as directed on bag for minimum time.
  • Chop broccoli.
  • In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, pepper flakes, salt, milk and eggs with whisk or fork until blended.
  • Stir in broccoli & cheese sauce, Parmesan cheese and bacon.
  • Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups (cups will be full).
  • Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and tops are light brown.
  • Cool 5 minutes.
  • With thin knife, loosen sides of puffs from pan; remove to cooling rack.
  • In small bowl, mix mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce until smooth.
  • Top each warm puff with 1 teaspoon mayonnaise mixture; garnish with onion

Notes & Wine Advice

Kitchen Secrets Satisfy your vegetarian guests by substituting either ¼ cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper or 2 tablespoons sliced green onions for the bacon.
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Course; Appetizer

Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

Couverts32 appetizers
Total time 50 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper; set aside.
  • Cut each sweet pepper in half lengthwise, leaving stem intact.
  • Remove seeds and membranes.
  • Place halved sweet peppers on cookie sheet, cut side up.
  • In medium bowl, mix refried beans, cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning until well blended.
  • Place mixture in resealable food-storage plastic bag.
  • Cut ½ inch off one corner of bag.
  • Pipe mixture into pepper halves.
  • Top each pepper half with crushed corn chips.
  • Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender.
  • Cool on cookie sheet 10 minutes.
  • Top with cilantro.

Notes & Wine Advice

Make-Ahead Magic
To speed up the final prep, make as directed through Step 3. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 6 hours until ready to bake. Top with corn chips, and bake as directed.
Festive Touch
Take these over the top by sprinkling a couple pieces of crisply cooked, crumbled bacon on top of the peppers along with the corn chips.
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Course; Appetizer

Christmas Tree Roll-Ups

Christmas Tree Roll-Ups

Couverts64 appetizers
Total time 2 hours 20 minutes
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, roasted peppers, chopped olives, basil and Parmesan cheese.
  • Spread mixture evenly over tortillas, spreading to edges; roll up tightly.
  • Press each tortilla roll into triangle shape, using fingers.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
  • To serve, cut rolls into ½-inch slices.
  • Place olive piece at bottom of each triangle to look like tree trunk; secure with toothpick.

Notes & Wine Advice

Kitchen Secrets
Short on time? Or making this appetizer for an occasion other than Christmas? Don’t shape the rolls into triangles. Simply cut into round slices and serve, skipping the olive pieces and toothpicks. This recipe can also easily be cut in half for a smaller group.
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Course; Appetizer

Cheese Fondue

Cheese Fondue

Couverts5
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In resealable food-storage plastic bag, place cheeses and flour.
  • Shake until cheese is coated with flour; let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Rub garlic on bottom and side of fondue pot, saucepan or skillet; discard garlic.
  • Add wine.
  • Heat over low temperature setting in fondue pot or over low heat in saucepan or skillet just until bubbles rise to surface (do not boil).
  • Stir in lemon juice.
  • Gradually add cheese mixture, about ½ cup at a time, gently stirring constantly with whisk over low heat until melted.
  • If the mixture is stirred too vigorously, the cheese could become stringy.
    (To keep fondue creamy and smooth, it’s important to make sure all cheese is melted before each new addition of cheese. )
  • Stir in kirsch.
  • Keep warm over simmer setting.
  • If made in saucepan or skillet, pour into a fondue pot or heatproof serving bowl and keep warm over low heat.
  • Fondue must be served over heat to maintain its smooth, creamy texture.
  • Spear bread pieces with fondue forks; dip and swirl in fondue with stirring motion.
  • If fondue becomes too thick, stir in ¼ to ½ cup heated dry white wine or nonalcoholic white wine.

Notes & Wine Advice

Festive Touch
This recipe makes a great partner to Herbed IPA Fondue (see recipe). After you cook the meat and veggies as directed in that fondue, dunk them in the cheese of this one. Delicious!
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Course; Cheese / Fondue

Easy Spinach Dip Wreath

Easy Spinach Dip Wreath

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Ingredients

SPINACH DIP

GARNISHES

Instructions

  • Cut and hollow out 3-inch-wide ring on top of bread loaf to within ½ inch of bottom, leaving center of loaf intact.
  • Reserve scooped-out bread.
  • Squeeze thawed spinach to drain; spread on paper towels and pat dry.
  • In large bowl, stir spinach, mayonnaise, sour cream, soup mix (dry), water chestnuts and onion until well mixed.
  • Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and soften soup mix.
  • Spoon about 1½ cups of the spinach dip into hollowed-out ring. (Cover and refrigerate remaining spinach dip for another use. )
  • Arrange rosemary and bell pepper pieces on dip to look like sprigs of holly.
  • Tear remaining bread into bite-size pieces.
  • Use torn bread and reserved scooped-out bread for dipping.

Notes & Wine Advice

Make-Ahead Magic Make it easy by prepping this festive appetizer the night before. Make the spinach dip (or purchase already made dip from the refrigerated section of the produce department) and cut the bread. When ready to serve, simply spoon the dip into the bread ring and arrange the garnishes and dippers.
Festive Touch Stir about 1 cup dried cranberries into the spinach dip for a jolly touch of sweetness and color. You can also decorate the “wreath” or serving platter with yellow or red cherry or grape tomatoes.
Kitchen Secrets You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste! Just substitute another flavor of dip for the spinach dip, and serve with cut-up veggies along with the bread pieces.
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Course; Appetizer / Vegetables

Layered Greek Dip

Layered Greek Dip

Couverts8
Deel op Facebook Print Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In small bowl, mix yogurt, cheese, parsley, lemon juice and salt.
  • Into each of 8 (2- to 3-oz) glasses or jars, layer 2 tablespoons hummus, 1 heaping tablespoon yogurt mixture, 1 tablespoon tomato, 1 tablespoon chopped cucumber, 1 tablespoon olives and slightly less than 1 teaspoon green onions.
  • Serve with pita chips, sliced cucumbers and bell peppers.

Notes & Wine Advice

Make-Ahead Magic You can prep this recipe ahead to make it a breeze to put together. Mix the ingredients in Step 1; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance of serving. Everything but the tomatoes can be chopped and refrigerated in small bags or containers up to 24 hours ahead as well. When ready to serve, chop the tomatoes and layer the dip as directed.
Festive Touch These individual dips are perfect for a buffet—no worries about double dipping! But you can also do a platter presentation if you like: Spread the hummus on a serving platter, and spoon the yogurt mixture over the hummus. Arrange the toppings in rows over the yogurt mixture.
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Course; Appetizer / Sauce
Cuisine; European / Greece