Category: Appetizers

Cranberry-Orange Brie Bites #ThanksgivingLeftovers

Leftover cranberry sauce or relish from Thanksgiving is turned into a quick sweet appetizer, Cranberry Brie Bites, for Thanksgiving weekend entertaining. Don’t want to wait until Thanksgiving leftovers? Make my 5-minute Cranberry-Orange Relish for this recipe and freeze the extra for appetizers, lunches or dinners later on.

Leftover cranberry sauce or relish from Thanksgiving is turned into a quick sweet appetizer, Cranberry Brie Bites, for Thanksgiving weekend entertaining.

Thanksgiving Day came up on us unexpectedly this year – work, my husband changing jobs, and travel leading up to (and following) the holiday meant that I was completely unprepared this year. Thankfully, we were once again able to crash the Thanksgiving celebration held by our Family Away From Family, so prep for me was minimal. I was in charge of cranberry sauce (check! Cranberry-Orange Relish made and frozen ahead of time), wine (check!), and dessert (check? Does store-bought the night before count?).

We had a lovely day with a few of our closest friends. I’d say that it was a small, quiet Thanksgiving, except there were 2 2-year olds and 2 4-year olds running around with an abundance of energy. So while it was small, it certainly wasn’t quiet.

Nor was our mid-afternoon meal particularly small. It’s really hard to scale back on the Thanksgiving classics, don’t you think? There was quite a bit of leftovers, despite the scaled back menu and portions. We came home with a sizable doggie bag that we’ll be eating for a few days, and that’s nothing in comparison to what our hosts still had left at home.

Cranberry Brie Bites

While many love Thanksgiving leftovers, sometimes there’s just SO MUCH. It becomes necessary to make those leftovers into something new to keep things interesting. With that in mind, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla is hosting today’s event – repurposing Thanksgiving leftovers. Check out these great ideas for how you can reinvent your Thanksgiving leftovers.

For my part, I took my 5-minute Cranberry-Orange Relish (although you can use any other leftover cranberry sauce) and used it as topping for a simple appetizer – Cranberry Brie Bites. The sweet and tart relish is a bright contrast to the crispy phyllo crust and rich, creamy cheese. Yum!

Don’t have leftover cranberry sauce? Make a batch of mine and stash it in the freezer – for this recipe, sandwiches, a breakfast topping, or your next roast turkey or chicken dinner.

What’s your favorite way to reuse Thanksgiving leftovers?

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Cranberry-Orange Brie Bites

Leftover cranberry sauce or relish from Thanksgiving is turned into a quick sweet appetizer, Cranberry Brie Bites, for Thanksgiving weekend entertaining.

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Author Liz

Ingredients

  • flour
  • 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
  • Roughly 1 c. leftover Cranberry-Orange Relish or other cranberry sauce (see notes)
  • 1/3 lb. brie about half a wedge, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (no need to remove the rind)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place a silicone muffin pan on a baking sheet and set aside.
  2. Sprinkle a clean counter top lightly with flour. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 12-15 square pieces. Place each square in a space in a silicone muffin pan, pressing down slightly so that bottom and sides line the space, with extra puff pastry hanging over top.
  3. Place a cube of brie in the center of each piece of puff pastry. Top with 1-2 tsp. of cranberry-orange relish.
  4. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until brie is melted and top of puff pastry is beginning to brown.
  5. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a serving dish.
  6. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

I used leftover cranberry-orange relish in this recipe. The relish can be made ahead of time and frozen until needed for these brie bites or to accompany a turkey dinner.

Leftover cranberry sauce or relish from Thanksgiving is turned into a quick sweet appetizer, Cranberry Brie Bites, for Thanksgiving weekend entertaining.

Chicken Caprese Bites #SundaySupper

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how excited I was to attend this year’s Food and Wine Conference in Orlando, FL. Well that weekend is here, and it’s been AMAZING. I’m not going to gush about it now – perhaps in a future post – but you can sneak a peak at the wonderful food and drink and learning opportunities by checking out Books n’ Cooks on Instagram.

As a part of this amazing weekend, I have received the opportunity to participate in a live #SundaySupper event at Tapa Toro, a restaurant in Orlando that combines contemporary Spanish cuisine with a vibrant, energetic atmosphere. Tapa Toro immerses the diner in Spanish culture through their unique paella pit, tapas menu, and extensive selection of imported wines.

If you don’t already know, tapas are Spanish small plates. In the spirit of this weekend’s event, the #SundaySupper tastemakers have created “small bites.” When creating my small bite, I drew on my Italian heritage and the fresh local vegetables that are starting to appear in nearby farmers markets. Chicken Caprese Skewers are easy to make – and easy to prepare ahead – and are full of bright Italian flavors.

Chicken Caprese Bites

By Books n’ Cooks

Makes 12 Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 c. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • splash of milk
  • canola or olive oil
  • 12 pieces of marinated mozzarella, Ciliegine-sized*
  • 12 cherry or grape tomatoes

* Ciliegine mozzarella are about the size of a cherry. You can use other sizes, but will need to cut to an appropriate size to top the chicken pieces.

Variation: Instead of marinated mozzarella, use plain mozzarella and sprinkle finished dish with fresh minced basil.

Prep: Place 12 long toothpicks in a shallow dish or plate and top with water. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes, to ensure that they don’t burn in the oven.

Make the Chicken: Heat oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat, enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. While oil heats, place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl or plate. In another shallow bowl, whisk together egg and a hefty splash of milk.

Dip chicken into egg and milk mixture, turning to coat. Then dip in breadcrumbs, again turning to coat well. Place chicken in hot pan – ensuring that pieces do not touch – and fry on 2-3 sizes, so that each piece has a nice crunchy crust on the outside and is cooked throughout. Move to a plate lined with a paper towel (to soak up extra oil).

Pull out an oven-safe dish – either a serving plate or plates, or a sheet pan. Skewer one piece of chicken, one piece of mozzarella, and top with one cherry tomato. Place on prepared dish.

If prepping ahead, you can stop here. Cover and refrigerate until just before serving.

Bake: About 30 minutes prior to serving, preheat oven to 450F. Bake chicken caprese bites for 15 minutes, until cheese is starting to melt and tomatoes are starting to burst.

Serve immediately.

Sunday Supper Small Bites Recipes for Entertaining

Small Starters

Pint-sized Protein

Demi-Desserts

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

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Cranberry Orange Baked Brie for #CranberryWeek

cranberryweek

Welcome to #CranberryWeek, hosted by Caroline’s Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. We’ll be sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day. Search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration. But first, see all the other cranberry recipes being shared today:

cranberry-orange-baked-brie-6

For me, Thanksgiving time is cranberry time. It’s not about pumpkin or pecan pie (although I loved these pecan pie truffles) at Thanksgiving dinner, but instead I make a mean cranberry-pear tart. If I’m hosting, I might make scones packed with dried cranberries and nuts for overnight guests or a quick bread to have around for snacks. But it’s all about the cranberries.

So you can imaging I was excited when I heard about #CranberryWeek. I jumped at the chance to participate, and I knew immediately that a baked brie would be one of the items I made for the week. The cranberry-orange topping I created has just the right might of sweet and tart, and it pairs beautifully with the strong flavor of the brie. Serve it on a hunk of crusty fresh bread and you have yourself a wonderful, seasonal appetizer.

Note: Cranberry orange topping can be made ahead, and refrigerated until ready to top and bake the brie.

Cranberry Orange Baked Brie

By Books n’ Cooks

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 1 orange, juiced and zested
  • 1 Tbs. Cointreau or other orange liquor
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1-16 oz. wheel brie

Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, Cointreau and kosher salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have burst. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, so sauce begins to thicken.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Place brie in a large baking dish (I used a round, high-sided pie dish). Top with cranberry sauce. Bake for 20 minutes, until warm throughout.

Serve hot with your favorite fresh bread.

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Cannoli Dip

cannoli-dip

There’s an Italian pastry shop near by that does all you can eat pastries one night a week. My husband and a few of his friends get unreasonably excited by this. I mean, the pastries are good, but I honestly can’t eat more than one of the HUGE Italian pastries without feeling like I overdid it. By contrast, my hubby and his friends like to tell stories of who is the reigning champ of pastry eating.

We very rarely go to those all-you-can-eat Monday nights, but every time I think of a cannoli, I think of that shop and my hubby’s stories. I’ve never really had any desire to try making cannolis – I imagined it wouldn’t be worth the trouble of carefully stuffing the delicate shell, which must be done just before serving to maintain that crunchy, flaky consistency. However, this cannoli dip was an easy, fun take on the Italian pastry. It can be whipped up and stored in the fridge until serving.

cannoli-dip

Serve with graham crackers (we used both honey graham crackers and chocolate graham crackers) or sugared pita chips. If you want to get fancy, portion into phyllo cups just before serving, instead of using as a dip.

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cannoli-dip

Cannoli Dip

Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Author Liz

Ingredients

  • 15 oz. fat-free ricotta
  • 3 oz. Marscapone cheese
  • 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla paste or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbs. mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Stir together ricotta, Marscapone, confectioners sugar, and vanilla paste. Stir in 1/2 c. chocolate chips.
  2. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle remaining 1 Tbs. chocolate chips.
  3. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes 2 cups of dip.

This recipe was adapted from Emily Bites.

cannoli-dip-by-books-n-cooks

Avocado Corn Salad

Fresh, ripe summer veggies – avocado, corn, and tomatoes – are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that’s simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve this Avocado Corn Salad ? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Avocado Corn Salad - Fresh, ripe summer veggies - avocado, corn, and tomatoes - are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that's simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve it? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Can you believe it’s football season already? I can’t. Football and baseball seem like the longest seasons in the world to me. To say I’m not a football fan would be an understatement – I’ll do just about everything I can to get out of watching a game, live or on tv. On the other hand, my hubby is a HUGE football fan, particularly college football. So I’m kinda stuck with having the sport on tv a good bit of the time as well as playing the occasional hostess when my hubby’s college team is playing.

Avocado Corn Salad - Fresh, ripe summer veggies - avocado, corn, and tomatoes - are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that's simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve it? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Football entertaining in my house is all about super easy dinners or heavy munchies. Chili and buffalo chicken dip are two of our favorites, but really, if I put out some homemade chips and guac, my hubby is happy. This avocado corn salad is equally as easy but a nice change from those old standbys. We like to serve it as a chunky dip with tortilla chips (perfect for game day!), although it can also stand on its own as a side for burgers or tacos. I first tried this salad when my sister-in-law made it, and my hubby and I were instantly big fans. The fresh, ripe veggies shine. Below is our favorite way to make the salad, but adjust the quantities ingredients according to your tastes.

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Avocado Corn Salad

Avocado Corn Salad

Fresh, ripe summer veggies - avocado, corn, and tomatoes - are tossed with fresh herbs, a little jalapeno, and vinaigrette makings to create a summer side dish or poolside munchie that's simply irresistible. My favorite way to serve it? As a dip with tortilla chips! 

Course Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Author Liz

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe avocados large dice
  • 2 plum tomatoes small dice
  • 1/4 red onion small dice
  • 1 c. corn kernels from 1 ear of grilled corn, or use canned corn, drained
  • 3 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 Tbs. honey
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Place diced avocados, tomatoes, onion, corn, cilantro, and jalapeno. Gently toss to combine.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and again, gently toss to coat. Taste and season with additional jalapeno, lime juice, salt or pepper as needed.

  3. Best served within one hour of preparing, although leftovers may be refrigerated for a day or two.

This recipe was inspired by Live Dine Party

More Game Day Inspiration:

Check out what my #SundaySupper friends are serving for game day. And big thanks to Coleen at The Redhead Baker for hosting!

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