Category: Appetizers

Chicken and Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites

These make a great appetizer or meal full of savory flavors.

Chicken and Mushroom Puff Pastry Bites

Ingredients

  • 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 1/4 c. garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c. shallots, minced
  • 2 c. button mushrooms, minced
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce
  • 1/2 c. salted butter, divided use
  • 2 tbs. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c. vegetable stock
  • 2 c. half and half
  • 1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
  • Two 17.3 oz. Boxes prepared Puff pastry
  • 1 tbs. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

Yields Approximately 2 Dozen Bites

Sauteed Vegetables

Melt 2 oz. of butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, rosemary, mustard powder, and hot sauce. Saute the chicken until cooked through. Set chicken aside. Melt an additional 1 oz. of butter in the skillet and saute the garlic, shallots, and mushrooms until tender and fragrant. Stir vegetables and chicken together and set aside.

Melt 2 oz. of butter in the skillet. Add the flour and stir to form roux. Cook roux until toasted and smells nutty. Add the vegetable stock and stir the roux into it. Add the half-and-half and cook the sauce until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Add the fresh parsley and the parmesan cheese. Remove from heat. Mix the sauce with the chicken. Set aside.

Sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin tins. Melt the remaining butter and mix with the dried parsley and garlic powder. Break each box of Puff pastry into 12 rectangles. Place each rectangle of puff pastry into each cavity. Spoon filling into each cavity and pinch the puff pastry to seal the bite. Brush each bite with the melted butter mixture.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the puff pastry is cooked through and golden brown.

Ham+Apple Quick Bread

These can be baked in loaf pans or in cupcake liners.

Ham+Apple Quick Bread Mini-Loaves

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. canola oil
  • 1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 c. sour cream
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. dill
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed rosemary
  • 1/4 tsp. ground thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. dried parsley
  • 2 c. bread flour
  • 1 c. diced ham
  • 1 c. diced apple
  • 1/2 c. shredded Colby-Jack cheese
  • cupcake liners if making muffins
Ham+Apple Quick Bread Muffins

Yields Approximately 12 mini loaves or 1 1/2 dozen muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine canola oil, eggs, and brown sugar. Add sour cream and mix until mixture lighter in color and fluffy. In a bowl, stir together the baking powder, salt, spices, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the ham, apple, and cheese and mix to combine.

Place dough into greased mini-loaf pans or into cupcake-wrapper-lined muffin tin. Bake mini loaves for 23-25 minutes until lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Bake muffins for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Everything Bagel Snickerdoodles

These savory cookies are rolled in everything bagel seasoning before baking.

Everything Bagel Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. salted butter, melted
  • 1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 extra large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. mustard powder
  • 1 tbs. grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. blue cheese powder (optional)
  • 1 c. bread flour
  • everything bagel seasoning, about 1/2 c.

Yields Approximately 1 1/2 dozen cookies using tablespoon-sized scoops of dough

Everything Bagel Snickerdoodles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the melted butter and the granulated sugar. Add the hot sauce and egg and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together the kosher salt, baking powder, garlic powder, black pepper, mustard powder, parmesan cheese, blue cheese powder, and bread flour. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. The dough will be crumbly.

Roll each scoop of dough I. everything bagel seasoning and then place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are lightly firm to the touch.

Queso Dip

This is a quick and easy queso dip that also freezes really well.

Queso Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder
  • 1 tsp. ancho chile powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce
  • 4 oz. can diced green chiles
  • 16 oz. can salsa
  • 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • Two 14 oz. cans of chili con carne chili
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, cut into smaller pieces c. shredded medium cheddar cheese
  • 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese

Brown the ground beef with the kosher salt, black pepper, chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and hot sauce. Drain excess fat and set aside.

In a stock pot, mix together the green chiles, diced tomatoes, salsa, and chili over medium heat. Allow mixture to warm up, then add add the cream cheese, stirring to combine. Add the shredded cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Add the ground beef and allow mixture to bubble slightly before serving. Be sure to stir frequently as the queso can stick and burn.

This can also be made in a slow-cooker, combining the ingredients over low heat and allowing the cream cheese and shredded cheese to melt fully after each addition.

Hummus and Slab Pita Bread

Instead of portioning out individual pita breads, this is baked in one big portion and then sliced into strips.

Ingredients

For the Hummus

  • Two 15.5 oz. Cans of Chickpeas, drained
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 c. tahini paste
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. crushed dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. dried dill
  • 1 tsp. hot sauce
  • 3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1-2 ice cubes
  • 1 tsp. sesame seeds to garnish
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley to garnish

Place all the ingredients into blender or food processor. Blend until everything is combined and it reaches desired smoothness. Chill until service. Garnish with sesame seeds and dried parsley.

Hummus

For the Pita Bread

  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 c. sour cream
  • 3/4 c. warm water
  • 2 tbs. granulated sugar
  • 2 packages instant yeast
  • 2 oz. salted butter, melted
  • 2 3/4 c. All-Purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tbs. Kosher salt
  • 1 tbs. dried parsley
  • 2 tbs. sesame seeds
  • vegetable oil for greasing pan and brushing bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast, allowing mixture to foam. In a mix bowl, beat the egg and sour cream together. Next, and the water and yeast mixture and combine. Lastly, add the melted butter and mix to combine. In a bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and parsley. Add flour a little at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.

Cover dough and let rise about an hour, until doubled in size.

Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil and sprinkle with 1 tbs. of the sesame seeds. Place dough on baking sheet and gently stretch dough out as evenly as possible. Brush dough with more vegetable oil, and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly and then cut into strips to serve.

Hummus and Pita Bread